Cutting the Ties
by Blue-Kool-Aid
Summary: “How come you’re hanging around here, anyway?” Kaiba sneered. “Waiting for your gang to show up so you can close a drug deal?” Jounouchi attempts to sever the connections he has with a street gang, but is greeted with resistance. KaiJou; shounen-ai/yaoi.
1. Confrontation

**Cutting the Ties**

**A/N:** Konnichiwa, mina-san! I'm back again! This time... with a multi-chapter fiction! Yay? Or... nay? Haha, actually, this was supposed to be a one-shot, but it became too long, just like _Another Drink_! So I decided to divide it up into chapters! It's not quite done yet eep! but that's okay. I still have two chapters left to post after this one before I run out of writing! Hehe!

Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed _Night's Caress_. It really means a lot to me! : ) **Kalinovskaja **– you definitely deserved a dedication... for being so dedicated! Haha, thanks for the hug! Thanks to everyone! As for a sequel to _Night's Caress..._ I don't know. I guess we'll see where time takes us. : )

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this fic! You get to see the rougher side of Jounouchi – which is incredibly fun to write (it's also closer to his real character, hehe!)

**Pairing**: Seto Kaiba x Jounouchi Katsuya

**Warnings**: Language, gang violence, blood, sexuality, shounen-ai/yaoi... rated 'T' for now, but will probably be up to 'M' for later chapters.

**Type**: Multi-chapter

Please leave a review and tell me what you think! Constructive criticism is always welcome! I don't know when I'll post the next chapter; hopefully soon! Spring is a busy time of the year for me. : )

Enjoy!

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**Chapter I: Confrontation**

Jounouchi Katsuya leaned casually against the brick wall of the school building, cigarette in hand, as one arm crossed lazily over his stomach. He had the sole of his sneaker also pressed against the wall, while the other sneaker tapped to a very erratic beat.

He lifted the cigarette to his lips and took a long, slow drag, and exhaled just as lazily, just as slowly. The sun was shining down, hitting him in the corner of his eye and causing him to squint. Currently, he was debating whether or not to go to fourth period biology.

The day was warm; the air clean and crisp. It seemed such a phenomenal waste of time to go to class when he could just play hooky and grab a soda and enjoy the beautiful spring day. Besides, what was he going to learn in biology that he didn't already know? Today there would be a guest speaker from the health clinic to talk about the effects of drugs on the body. He smirked at the irony as he took another puff of his cigarette.

He really didn't smoke all that much, but once or twice a week it was nice to just get away from everything and let the nicotine relax his weary body. With homework (which he was actually doing this year), a part-time job (which he wasn't even supposed to have), and various other activities (which he wished he could get out of because they were slightly illegal), his life was kind of stressful. So it was nice to wind down.

Exhaling the last bit of smoke, he threw the cigarette butt down on the ground and crushed it with his foot. He sighed softly as he wiped the ashes from his worn blue school uniform. Crossing both arms over his chest, he leaned further back and closed his eyes, enjoying the quiet of the afternoon.

Unfortunately, the quiet didn't last long because he now heard the sound of approaching footsteps, shoes smacking heavily against the pavement. His eyes popped open and he idly wondered if he should run for it in case it was a teacher. He decided he didn't care; not on this particular afternoon, anyway.

He was surprised when Seto Kaiba rounded the corner sharply, talking into a cell phone. He was even more surprised to see him in casual dress on school property; a tight fitting black t-shirt and equally tight fitting blue jeans. His face was scrunched up in anger (what else was new) and his hair looked slightly dishevelled. He carried in his hand the silver brief case (which Jounouchi guessed was his only friend) and a coat that was slung over his other arm.

He stopped when he saw Jounouchi, saying something into the phone, and then hanging up. "Skipping class?" he smirked as he sauntered forward.

Jounouchi rolled his eyes and stood up straight. "I could be asking you the same question, I suppose. How come you're not wearing your uniform?"

"I have business to attend to," Kaiba replied sharply, as if suddenly remembering why he was, indeed, cutting class. Not that he didn't have special permission from the teachers anyway...and just about every other god damn kiss-ass in the school.

"You don't look very business-like."

"Casual dress only. I'm meeting with a man who's probably just as old as our biology teacher, yet acts like he's the same age as Mokuba. I'll have his company swallowed in no time." Kaiba looked Jounouchi up and down slowly, something that he did when he was sizing up an enemy.

"I see," Jounouchi replied, trying to ignore the obvious disgust in Kaiba's eyes as he noticed the cigarette butt. Why was the asshole giving him the time of day, anyway? It was annoying him; the afternoon had been going perfectly.

"How come you're hanging around here, anyway?" Kaiba sneered. "Waiting for your gang to show up so you can close a drug deal?" He didn't really think Jounouchi was involved in any gang-like activities; from the bits and pieces he'd heard about the blonde, he'd cleansed himself of those kinds of connections.

So Kaiba was rather taken aback when Jounouchi looked him straight in the eye and coldly replied, "Nah, we did that last night." He flicked at some dust that had landed on his leg.

Kaiba smirked. "Ah, so puppy's still following the commands of a drug-deranged leader."

Jounouchi took a threatening step forward. "Some of us aren't handed money on a silver platter," he spat. "I thought you had a meeting to go to? Lord knows it's so important you're actually ditching class for it. Get lost." God, he was irked. It was really none of Kaiba's damn business what he did and didn't do in his free time. He wasn't proud of the things he had done, but somebody had to pay the rent.

"They wait on me, mutt. _Everybody_ waits on me." Now Kaiba was interested; so Jounouchi really was different from the rest of the people he hung around with – namely the friendship-loving Mazaki and "heart of the cards will give you strength" spewing Mutou.

"Look, just leave me alone. I'm not in the mood for you – not that I'm _ever_ in the mood for you. I've had a rough week, so beat it." Jounouchi was definitely on the defensive now – he really hated when Kaiba did that to him. So much for grabbing a soda and just relaxing. Apparently a corporate billionaire had nothing better to do with his time than harass a mere commoner.

Kaiba shrugged his shoulders in that arrogant asshole way of his and studied Jounouchi. He was a little rough around the edges, sure; but he didn't look like he was doing hardcore drugs on a regular basis. That, thought Kaiba, didn't necessarily rule out the possibility that he _dealed_ them.

"What the fuck are you staring at?" Jounouchi snapped. He made a sudden move and stood directly in front of Kaiba, his fists balled up tightly. He was extremely annoyed at this point. "How 'bout we end this little confrontation now?"

"You mean the ending where my fist connects with your face?" Kaiba shot back. He honestly didn't know why he had decided to pick a fight. He guessed it had something to do with amusement on his part. He took great pleasure in seeing Jounouchi all fired up.

"You obviously haven't read the entire book!" Jounouchi pulled his arm back and prepared to right hook Kaiba.

Kaiba, the stealthy bastard, was quick, though. He took a step back just as Jounouchi's fist came flying forward, causing the blonde to miss. "What? They didn't teach you how to aim in that little gang of yours?"

"Just _shut up_!" Jounouchi exploded. "You don't know a fucking thing about my life!" He was practically shaking from anger. Why did people enjoying toying with him so much? He just didn't understand. A good day ruined in the blink of an eye, and that pissed him off more than anything.

"Hmm," Kaiba clucked, staring down at Jounouchi. He actually looked rather small, despite the fact that only three inches separated them in height. "I didn't realize that you were so quick to anger."

"Just... leave me alone, will you?" The blonde shrunk back against the wall, sighing softly.

Kaiba looked at his watch, and he realized that he should probably get going to the meeting. He chuckled lightly at the exasperated looking blonde and said, "Whatever. See you around, _inu_."

Jounouchi growled in response as he watched the CEO disappear. "Stupid fucking prick." It took him awhile before he regained the energy to move, and when he finally did, he just decided he might as well go back to class.

What a waste of day.


	2. Situation

**A/N**: Good morning, everyone! What a wonderful day to enjoy a cup of coffee while I sit here and type on my lap top. : ) You know what's amazing? How quickly we all grow up. It seems like just yesterday that I was in elementary school blissfully unaware of what the lyrics in Third Eye Blind's_ Semi-Charmed Life_ actually meant. : ) Just a thought to ponder... take a stroll down memory lane today and see what you find!

Thanks once again to all of my reviewers:

**Kalinovskaja**: I swear I'm not a robot! I am human! ; ) I just... um... maybe I am a robot! :P Haha! Oh, dear... poor Jounouchi. Yes, I love the fact that Kaiba pisses him off so easily. It makes for some wicked chemistry later on! Woo! Oh, Takahashi-sama, you are genius! ; ) Thanks for the review, m'dear!

**ONIX-21:** Awh, thanks for the compliment! That means a lot to me! : ) Enjoy this chapter!

**N.M. Smith – Mr. Cackles**: I'm glad I've got you waiting! : )

**melodyz07**: Yes, Seto wearing casual clothing... is... hot. lol! Too bad he doesn't do it often (or at all?!) in the manga or anime! : ) Thanks!

**astalder27**: Thanks! Updating I am! Glad you like it! : )

Ah, you guys are great! Your kind words mean much to an aspiring writer! : ) Anyway, here is the next chapter! I apologize for the slowness, but things will start to pick up in chapter four! (Eep! That's not even written yet, but it will be soon!)

Also, I have a question: **What are your favourite and least favourite couples in this fandom? Why and why not? **I like a wide variety of pairings, but my favourite is obviously Seto and Jounouchi. I don't know... they're just so opposite! They're perfect for each other because of the balance they create when they're together. I also like Jounouchi and Anzu... I'm a sucker for a good 'ol friendship-turned-romance fic I hope to write another story for this pairing soon! Hm... and least favourite? I would have to say Seto and Yami... like, I don't know. I'll read fics with that couple occasionally, but... I can just never wrap my head around the romantic idea of them. : ) Tell me what you think!

Enjoy reading while I have another cup of coffee. : )

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**Chapter II: Situation**

Night had come quickly, and lucky for Jounouchi, he didn't work tonight. He was currently wandering around the rougher edges of town, seeking out the root of his problems lately. Kaiba had been right about one thing; he _was_ in a gang, and he planned to cut ties with them tonight. He knew it was dangerous, especially since he'd been with them for so long. He shuddered unintentionally.

It had started last year – his drunkard father was continually paying the rent late, and the landlord said he was going to terminate the tenancy. Jounouchi knew he had to do something; he didn't really feel like living on the streets. He had connections from junior high – he was able to find a way to make a quick buck; delivering drugs and other things for a local street gang. It paid well, no doubt about that, but it was dangerous.

Well, now he had a part-time job, and he had just received a raise. There was no need to continue with these activities. He knew it wasn't going to be easy, but he had to do it. He didn't want to get caught and add to his criminal record (he'd stolen numerous times before – and was caught once).

It was time to give them the money from his last transaction and just be done with it. The gang found him first.

"Heya, Jounouchi. Ya got the money?" the leader asked, stepping forward. They were on a deserted street. Even to this day, the blonde was unsure of his real name. He just went by Kyuuseishu – or 'saviour.' It was disgusting, really, how this man – only in his early twenties – thought of himself as a saviour when in fact he was doing the opposite; luring young teens into the street life.

Jounouchi despised him, and he'd only gotten involved to make some quick cash. Everyone thought he was a juvenile delinquent – which he had been – but not anymore.

"Yeah, I have the money." Jounouchi handed Kyuuseishu a wad of cash. He cleared his throat, then, trying to sound confident. It shouldn't make a difference if he left, right? There were plenty of others who could do his job just as well. "Hey, man... thanks for everything, but this is going to be our final transaction."

Kyuuseishu took the cash and stared at him hard. The other two - Haraise and Ken'o – were gaping at him, mouths wide open.

It was then Jounouchi grasped the danger of the situation. This was a _street gang_ and all three of them easily outweighed his measly 136-pound body. His palms were sweaty and he nervously wiped them on his jeans. Kyuuseishu had never done anything terrible to him – he'd punched him once, but that was all. He'd also been warned when he became involved.

God, the technicalities. He wasn't even sure if he was an actual member; he was just their runner, as far as he knew.

"You think you can just leave?" Kyuuseishu spat. "You know way too much about us, kid, and what we do. You should know better than to think that you can just 'leave' without there being some dire consequences." He crossed his arms over his 6'2'' frame, as a piece of black hair fell over his eye, covering a nasty scar.

"I mean... I'm grateful," Jounouchi continued, feeling his pulse race, "but... I just got too much going on. I've got responsibilities... namely school."

"You think school's gonna get you anywhere? Damn, you're naive!" the so-called 'saviour' smirked. "And from what I gathered about you, you ain't the sharpest tool in the shed."

"I'll bet I'm a whole lot smarter than you, _bakayarou_!" Jounouchi said hotly, without thinking. He was smart; it just didn't show because he was _lazy_. Not incompetent, just lazy. But he was trying to change that and was making a genuine effort to complete his assignments in school.

Kyuuseishu took a threatening step forward and grabbed Jounouchi by the collar. "I would watch your mouth, _niryuu_." He snapped his fingers and just like that, the other two buffoons had seized Jounouchi, one holding each arm.

"You know what? I decided you can leave," Kyuuseishu snarled, "but let me first give you a parting gift." He bent down and reached into his heavy boot, pulling out a small but incredibly sharp knife.

Jounouchi felt physically ill as Kyuuseishu stepped forward and waved the knife in his face. "Let's just call this a token of our _appreciation_," he said cruelly.

He felt the cool metal press into the side of his head, just above his right temple. The blade dug in deeply and he released a pained cry, feeling the skin tear as the knife made an agonizing journey all the way to the corner of his eye. Blood spurted from the deep cut and he vaguely wondered how he was going to stop the bleeding if they kept holding him down like this.

"I'm not done with you yet," the terrifying man said as he yanked up the sleeve of Jounouchi's jacket and pressed the knife into the skin of his right wrist and dragged it roughly all the way down to the intended juncture where his wrist met his elbow. He finished off by slashing the blade across the cut in his wrist, forming a bloody cross. "You've been marked," he snarled.

Jounouchi writhed in agony and finally the two men holding him were given the signal to let go. He dropped to his knees, clutching his left hand to his temple and pressing his wrist against his chest. He felt the blood oozing out and felt wave after wave of nausea crash in the pit of his stomach.

"Now you'll never forget us," Kyuuseishu sneered, looking down at him. He kicked him sharply in the ribs. Haraise and Ken'o joined their leader. "Don't be surprised if we meet again... or if you meet some of our friends." He spat at Jounouchi and the trio walked away, chuckling darkly.

_Hold it together_, Jounouchi told himself. _Get help! _He stood up shakily, trying to assess the damage. He carefully pulled off his jacket and tied it around his wrist, which was bleeding profusely. He couldn't tell if they had cut any tendons or muscle. He pressed his left hand against the cut on his face, and vaguely wondered if perhaps he was going into shock.

He started walking slowly, feeling dizzy. He knew that he was losing quite a bit of blood from the cut in his wrist because his jacket was becoming bloody very quickly. He chuckled to himself darkly, realizing that this would be a very pathetic way to die.

It seemed like he was walking forever until he realized that he was now downtown. _Fuck, I've been going the wrong way!_ He saw a bench and went to it, sitting down, breathing heavily. His vision was slightly blurred and he wondered which part of downtown he was in. Why the hell was there no one in sight? Then he remembered – it was a_ Wednesday_ evening and most people were at home in bed at this hour.

He felt like he was going to pass out until he heard approaching footsteps. He forced himself off the bench, stepping back wearily, trying to make out the figure coming towards him.

"Hey, are you okay?" said a voice that he was sure he recognized. They walked closer, seemingly squinting.

"Help," he answered pathetically.

"_Jounouchi_?" replied the voice, surprised.

How did this person know his name? Damn it, he couldn't see anything. He looked up, though, and realized just which building he had stopped in front of. The glowing name of _Kaiba Corporation_ glared down at him tauntingly. Then he realized that the person in front of him was indeed the owner of said corporation.

"Kaiba!" he said, startled.

"Christ, you're bleeding everywhere. What the fuck are you doing? What happened? Hey, look at me when I'm – "

He didn't hear the rest, though, because that's when he passed out in Seto Kaiba's arms.


	3. Hesitation

**A/N**: Wow, I'm absolutely blown-away by the overwhelming response I got to the 'couples' question! Thanks so much, guys, for thinking about it and taking the time to answer! Amazing! I thoroughly enjoyed reading your responses! : )

**Kalinovskaja**: lmao! Now _that's_ amusing! I quite enjoyed the "prince charming on a white horse" bit! And yes, I have noticed that Jou-kun is frequently on the receiving end of vicious activity! It's cliché, but hey, what _hasn't_ been done with this couple at this point? ; ) Heheh... –evil laugh- I totally forgot about Bakura/Ryou, there! I love them, too! –sweatdrop- I even have an incomplete fic about them! : ) Oh, fanfiction authors... thy name is _procrastination_. Yes, I _love_ coffee, and as a matter of fact, I'm drinking some right now! :D

**ONIX-21**: Thanks for reviewing again! : )

**Kate**: Ah, another request for a seme Jounouchi! Well, I can't promise anything, but I do know that in this fic if there ends up being such a scene, Kaiba and Jounouchi will be more equal. Also, I'm planning on writing a one-shot with a seme Jounouchi just because it seems like it would be fun! : )

**devotedtodreams**: Hey! I loved _First Flight_ and started reading _Sun, fun and nothing to do? _(but haven't quite finished yet) Please continue! You're a wonderful author! : ) Ah, puppyshipping! What a wonderful thing, eh? I don't even think I remember the first story I read with Seto and Jou, but it was years ago. : ) –waves flag around- I'm glad I did, though! I love that saying, by the way! It's so true! "Those who tease each other, love each other!" Ah, great words! : )

**Rocker**: Haha, I don't mind if you're picky! : ) Thanks for complimenting my use of... cussing! Haha! That's so awesome! Well, it may have started out tasteful, but I just finished chapter four and well... there's _a lot_ of swearing. : ) Anyway, thanks so much! That totally makes my day! ; )

**melodyz07**: Holy c_ow_! I think that was the longest review I've ever seen! Thanks for putting so much thought into your response! I quite enjoyed reading it! You sure know your YGO stuff! You are one devoted Puppy shipper! I loved reading what you thought about the other couples. : ) I agree with your assessment on Yami/Seto! I just can't see them together either, and that's one more reason why!

**N.M. Smith – Mr. Cackles:** I loved your fic so far! It's so in depth and... it's great! : ) I must say, I disagree – I like Jounouchi x Mai, but only under like... very special circumstances. However, I also don't like the idea of the 'older' woman. "Seto and Yami freak me out!" lol! True that, sista! Thanks for the review! : )

Phew! Wow, I'm impressed with you guys! I just loved the responses! I know I've already said that, but wow! Totally makes my day! : ) So, I have another question for you then: **How did you get drawn into **_**Yu-Gi-Oh!**_**?** I remember when it first premiered I was like, oh wow, another show like _Pokémon_... but then I watched it... and nope! Instantly sucked in because the characters had so much depth and background and ah... it was just great! Then I bought some of the manga and that just did it for me! :P

Anyway – _finally_ – here's the next chapter. I'm sorry it's so short – only like 900 words or something – but the next chapter's going to be good (and longer)! Oh, my. I think my author's note is almost as long as this chapter. I really need to stop now! Haha!

Enjoy! (And don't hurt me... you'll soon see why!)

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**Chapter III: Hesitation**

Jounouchi woke up sometime later, slowly blinking his eyes in confusion. He was still in his street clothes, but his wounds had been cleaned and bandaged. He struggled to sit up in the bed as he looked around. He only saw white – white floors, white curtains, and white walls. He knew he was in the hospital, the scent of the place startlingly clean and sterile.

Then he remembered. "Kaiba?" he called out. This inquisition greeted him with the presence of a nurse. She was eyeing him worriedly.

"You've finally woken up," she said softly, coming towards him. She was young; probably only twenty-three or so with long, dark curly hair and creamy white skin. Her eyes were dark green, kind of like the color of a pine tree. She stood over him by the bed, gently picking up his wrist and checking the bandage to make sure the stitches had not come loose. There was no blood to indicate such activity. "How do you feel?"

Jounouchi blinked his amber eyes once again and stared at her. "Where's Kaiba?" he tried again.

She gave him a gentle smile. "What's this about a 'Kaiba,' honey?"

"Well, he brought me here, didn't he?" Jounouchi demanded. He was thoroughly confused. The last thing he remembered was passing out in Kaiba's arms.

"No, love, a passerby found you face-down in the middle of the sidewalk surrounded by blood and quickly called emergency. Though someone did mention that it was in front of Kaiba Corporation... anyway, an ambulance brought you here." She pressed her hand against his forehead to check for any indication of a fever.

"B – But..."

"Perhaps you were hallucinating that it was Kaiba-sama because you were right outside of his business."

Jounouchi felt his cheeks burn. Why would he hallucinate Kaiba, of all people, 'rescuing' him? It didn't make sense and it definitely embarrassed him.

"Have a glass of water, hun, you don't look so good." The nurse handed him a glass from a nearby tray and he took it gratefully. She stood next to his bed, now holding a clipboard, which she had also picked up from the tray. "Now, I'm going to ask you some questions, if you're feeling up to it. I know you just woke up, but we need to know some things." She smiled at him.

He found himself smiling back, only because this nurse reminded him of a gentler, kinder version of one Kujaku Mai. "Sure," he replied feebly. He rested his head against another pillow and tried to ignore the prickles of pain in his body.

"Okay, do you have any one we can contact about your condition?" She held her pen steadily, looking over the clipboard at him.

"What exactly _is_ my condition?"

"Answering a question with a question, eh? Well, luckily for you, you haven't suffered dire amounts of damage. The wound near your eye should heal just fine, with little scarring, if cared for properly. Your wrist will be fine – your attacker _just_ missed a major artery... almost if it was intended. We were able to stitch it up neatly... unfortunately, there will be a very noticeable scar once it's healed. Now, about _my _question?"

Jounouchi sighed softly. Well, at least he was still alive. "You could contact someone about my condition but the chances are that they won't give much of a damn. So, no, there's no one you can really reach. Next question."

The nurse smiled sadly. "Alright, then. How did this happen?"

He winced. "I got involved with the wrong people and tried to get away. Obviously to no avail."

She nodded. "We've pretty much figured out that you were involved with a gang because of the mark they left on your wrist. Just wanted to clear it up, though. How old are you?"

Jounouchi cocked his head to the side. "I turned seventeen on January 25th."

"Okay... last one. What's your name and do you have any previous medical record with Domino Regional Hospital?"

"Katsuya Jounouchi. No previous medical record that I know of." He tossed her a tired grin. "Can I ask _your_ name?"

"Amarante." She smiled at him, and he noticed that her smile was very pretty. Straight, white teeth and full, pink lips; she was quite a beautiful girl.

"Very suiting. 'Flower that never fades.' Catchy," he chuckled.

"I'm just going to go put your information in the computer and then I'll be right back." Amarante turned to leave.

"Question. When can I leave?"

Amarante eyed him. "Well, you've lost quite a bit of blood so it's probably not safe to l – "

"I have school tomorrow." There was no way he could miss the exam he had in Japanese. _No way_. Even if he had been viciously attacked and even if it was already nearing one o'clock in the morning.

"Alright, Jou-kun," Amarante said softly. "It _is_ okay if you go home, but you do need to come back in a week or so for a check-up. I'll tell you how to care for your injuries and then I'll call you a cab, ne?"

Jounouchi nodded. "Thanks... Amarante."

She smiled at him and took her clipboard, walking out of the room, as she thought that he had the prettiest set of eyes she had ever seen.


	4. Aggravation

**A/N**: Good almost-afternoon, everyone! How are you today? 'Tis a lovely day for a stroll in the park (unless you live in Antarctica; the conditions are probably not ideal for strolling). Ah, and now we're on to chapter four. What started as a little one-shot has indeed expanded into a fiction which will have I-don't-even-know-how-many chapters. : ) I just finished chapter five last night and will probably work on chapter six later today.

Thank you once again for the lovely reviews! : ) It really makes my day! Good motivation is indeed positive encouragement!

**devotedtodreams**: Fear not, faithful puppyshipper! Amarante is just a nice girl and nothing more. : ) She kind of feels sorry for Jou, I think. –sigh- Speaking of Jou, things only get worse for him from here – but once you hit rock bottom there's nowhere else to go, right? ; ) Oh, the 'ugly sap' comment sure cracked me up! lol! Now that is funny! : )

**Kalinovskaja**: I'm also excessively happy that I update on a regular basis! It means I get to hear from you guys almost every day! Woohoo! ; ) I think it's good to have good communication with your reviewers – after all, if it was the real world, and I was a bestselling author (I wish!), you guys would be like my editing people, right? Telling me how to improve things and such! Anyway, it's interesting how a few of you, like me, thought it was just another show like_ Pokémon. _Boy, were we wrong! Because now here we are obsessing over Seto and Jou. ; ) Don't worry – I did enjoy my coffee! And I'm about to enjoy some banana bread as well!

**ONIX-21**: Ah, another one inquiring about Kaiba! ; ) Thanks for reviewing!

**melodyz07**: Hehe! I'm so excited for all of you wondering about Seto to read this chapter! : ) I think it may clear things up – or confuse you more! I was drawn to Yami, too! I was like... oh man. That is _awesome_. I'm glad you like my questions! I have another one for you guys at the end here! : ) Thanks for the review!

**pennypigeon**: Thanks a lot! : ) Here is the next chapter!

**ReMeDy10**: Awh, thanks for the compliment! I'm glad you like it! Woo!

**N.M. Smith – Mr. Cackles**: Keepin' you guessing, eh? Man, you totally just reminded me of how old _Yu-Gi-Oh!_ actually is now! It's been like five years! Woooow! As I take a trip down memory lane! Haha! Oh, dear! It looks like I'm going to have to clear up this Kaiba question!

**TheChazz**: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you think that I'm keeping the characters in character! : )

Phew! Okay, so several of you have asked and/or seem confused about who rescued Jounouchi! ... Well, read ahead to find out! : ) Hopefully this chapter will clear that question up and give you some insight into the problem!

Thanks for all of the wonderful feedback! Now, here's another question: **Who's your favourite **_**Yu-Gi-Oh! **_**character?** Well, this one is easy for me! Jounouchi, hands down! He's loyal, sweet, and caring, and for me, this crosses out the bad traits (hot-headed, speaking before thinking, etc)! And he's a cutie, to boot! So, there you have it. I like other characters, too – Kaiba (of course), Ryou, and yes, I like Anzu. ; )

Anyway, thanks for all of the wonderful responses! Enjoy, and I will see you in the next chapter! : )

* * *

**Chapter IV: Aggravation**

Jounouchi awoke the next morning feeling sore and irritated; his mouth dry. It took him a moment before he remembered what had happened. "God," he groaned, stiffly sitting up. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and padded towards the bathroom, his arm slung heavily against his chest.

Looking into the mirror, he was displeased to notice that there were several scrapes on his face, probably from when he had hit the pavement.

That's right. He had hit the pavement and had definitely _not_ fallen right into Seto Kaiba's arms. God, why would such a thought even cross his mind, even in the deranged, shocked state that he had been in? It just... it just didn't make any sense at all. Maybe Amarante was right – and that the Kaiba Corporation sign had caused some kind of deluded imagining. Come to think of it, he remembered opening his eyes once and looking into the face of a middle-aged man.

But... had he seen movement from the Kaiba Corporation building? He sighed, knowing that he had been too out of it to ever know.

What was he going to tell his friends when they saw him? He supposed he would just have to say it was a street fight, even though they thought that he was past that. Moaning in misery, he removed his arm from the sling and stripped off his clothes. Carefully, he wrapped the bandages in plastic and turned on the water.

Showering was going to be difficult and tedious, but it was an obstacle that he was willing to overcome.

* * *

Jounouchi arrived at school half an hour earlier than usual, despite the fact that he had difficulties making breakfast and brushing his teeth. The damn sling was annoying and his arm was in pain. They had given him painkillers right before he left, but he was too damn ignorant to take those. He would suffer.

He went to his quiet spot around the side of the building and leaned against the same wall he had leaned against yesterday. He sucked in a breath of fresh air as he watched the early morning rays of the sun shine over the school yard.

He knew that he was going to have to watch his back from now on. Well, at least for a while. Kyuuseishu did not make idle threats, and he did well to prove that last night. Man, he wished he had a cigarette right then. His nerves were a mess and he had a test to write in first period.

The blonde sighed softly to himself and slowly made his way back around the corner – only to crash into something solid. Unfortunately, his injured arm took most of the impact and this caused him to gasp and stumble backwards.

"Watch where you're going, _baka_!" Kaiba's cold voice pierced through his throbbing head.

How interesting that they should once again meet in the same place. Jounouchi was beginning to think that perhaps it was time for him to find a new 'quiet' spot. Maybe he could just go on the roof. And well, if Kaiba showed up there too, he might as well throw himself off the damned thing.

"Maybe you should watch where the fuck you're going for once, you stupid bastard!" Jounouchi snapped, cradling his arm as he glared at the brunette. Yep, he could really use a cigarette right about now.

"I really don't have to," Kaiba replied, eyeing Jounouchi. "What the hell happened to you?" He noticed the various cuts on the blonde's face and then the stitches in the side of his head. Then there was the arm, which 

seemed to be a source of a lot of pain. His skin prickled slightly – it was like he already knew what had happened to him.

"None of your fucking stuck-up business!"

Kaiba's ice blue eyes met Jounouchi's amber ones. The CEO held the gaze for a moment and then broke it off. He shrugged, trying to seem like he didn't care, but damn; he was really curious. "Whatever, mutt. I have better things to do then inquire about your well-being." He went to walk past Jounouchi but the latter was blocking his way angrily.

"I'm sure you do, you selfish bastard." He threw his fist at Kaiba, and miracle of miracles, actually _hit_ him this time – with his _left_ arm, no less.

Kaiba felt the solid blow to his jaw and stumbled backward in surprise. He couldn't believe that he had actually been _hit_ and was even more stunned to realize that his mouth was bleeding. "What the fuck?" he spat at Jounouchi.

Jounouchi just grinned smugly, shaking his head. For one of the first times, he had actually one-upped the corporate prick and had given him a taste of his own medicine. Too bad he was too busy relishing in his glory to notice that Kaiba had regained his composure and was coming at him rather quickly.

Kaiba knocked Jounouchi to the ground, landing on top of him heavily. He grabbed the blonde by the collar of his shirt and punched him in the face with as much force as he could muster without killing him. "I am not," he growled angrily, "a force to be reckoned with!" Still gripping Jounouchi's collar, he lifted him up slightly and slammed him back down.

"Get off of me!" Jounouchi gasped, still not believing that he was on the ground. His second fight in less than twelve hours – he vaguely wondered if that was a new record of some sort. Damn, Kaiba punched _hard. _He felt dizzy.

Kaiba was pissed. Mostly at himself for g_etting_ so pissed. It took a lot to shake his calm exterior, but when it happened – watch out. He stared down at the blonde and realized that he probably didn't need a beating, given his current state. As a matter of fact, Kaiba was starting to feel sorry for him – but that was before Jounouchi kicked out at his leg.

It _hurt_ and Kaiba let him know by tightening his grip and slamming him down again. "Listen here, mutt – "

"No, _you_ listen!" Jounouchi rasped out. He wasn't sure if he could even feel his body any more. "You leave me the hell alone!"

Kaiba pressed his weight down harder. He realized that he was straddling the blonde and that it looked very compromising, but he didn't really care. "You punched me first!"

"Because you can never keep your damn snide comments to yourself! _What _is your problem with me?" Jounouchi shouted, struggling beneath the brunette.

"My problem is that I'm so damn at – " Kaiba cut himself off. What had he almost said? _My problem is that I'm so damn attracted to you_. No, that couldn't be right. That was definitely not right. It was something that his scrambled brain decided to cook up to screw with him.

"_What_?" Jounouchi growled.

"My problem is that I'm so damn annoyed with you and your little group of friends!"

"We didn't do anything to you! We offered you friendship for fuck's sake, you fucking self-absorbed cold-hearted mother fucking son of a bitch!" Jounouchi barked. He felt blood trickle down his head and into his eye, and he realized that his stitches had come undone.

Kaiba noticed too, because he said softly, "You're bleeding."

"No fucking shit!" Jounouchi snarled. "Now get the fuck off of me!"

Kaiba got off of Jounouchi and stepped back a few paces, watching the blonde struggle to his feet.

He leaned against the wall, rasping and clasping at his arm. He was in damn near tears because of the pain shooting from every direction. "I _hate_ you, Seto Kaiba," he growled, his left hand shaking. He couldn't recall ever being this angry in his life. He lowered his head, trying to stop the tears that had welled up from escaping. He blinked his eyes rapidly.

Kaiba stood there, arms clenched at his sides as he observed the shaking form of the blonde. Even for him, he was beginning to think that he had pushed things a little too far. "Jounouchi," he began softly, using his name for the first time, instead of some degrading insult.

"Get lost before I really fucking pound your ass!" he said, his voice shaking. "Go!" He tried to catch his breath. He stared at the ground and he realized that he must have started crying because there were several drops of moisture dotting the pavement.

Kaiba regarded him coldly, deciding not to continue with his previous thoughts. "I would suggest going to the nurse's office."

Then he walked away, leaving Jounouchi to try and gather his wits.

He could almost swear that he felt guilty. But maybe it was just guilt leftover from the night before. He had witnessed, from the window of his office building, a clearly injured person stumble around and pass out – and then he didn't do a damn thing about it.


	5. Frustration

**A/N**: Good morning once again, everyone! Actually, it's closer to noon. I did not get up as early as I wanted, but oh well. I still have my coffee (which is even more delicious than usual because I am more tired than usual)! Another day, another chapter! – chapter five already!

A very big thank you goes out to my ever loyal reviewers:

**ONIX-21**: Yes, I had much fun cooking up the little 'twist'! Don't be surprised if there are more to come! ; ) Maybe! Thanks for reviewing!

**Kalinovskaja**: People just love to pick on poor Jou – if anything, to get a reaction out of him because he's so hot-headed! He kind of has an air of vulnerability, too, which makes him an easy victim! Haha, yes definitely more chapters! We're about to see a very big turn of events in the next few! Ah, fellow Jou-lover! Isn't he wonderful! : ) I really like Bakura and Marik, as well. They're fun to write because they're so... _psycho_? : ) And yes – banana bread is awesome! This loaf in particular has chocolate chips and some kind of nut in it! –gives K. (standing for Kalinovskaja) a piece- ; )

**devotedtodreams**: Oh, yes. Believe me, the fighting shall be made up for later in the fic! : ) I'm too much of a romantic sap to just leave it at that! Teehee! I definitely agree with the 'real man' comment! Ah, Seto... he's been gifted intelligence, good looks, and power. Too bad he's not charming in the least! : ) As a matter of fact, there are some parts in the manga where he's downright scary! Ah, well! Jou-kun can deal with that! ; ) Thanks for reviewing!

**Astrolita Karatase**: I love your pen name! It sounds so... awesome! Haha! Thanks for the compliment! : )

**Sanctimonious Girl**: Ah, thanks so much! I'm glad you think that the characters are in character! : ) That's one thing I love about Jou, though – the fire! He just wouldn't be Jou without it! Another Jounouchi fan! Yay! I'm glad to see so many of you! ; ) Thanks for the review! :P Loved the 'money' comment!

**TheChazz**: Ah, Ryou! He's a sweetheart – when he's not being taken over by his yami! Thanks for the compliments and the review! : )

I'm glad you're all responding to my lame questions, lol! I have so much fun reading what you think! Question number four... **how did you get into fanfiction**?

Wow, I don't even think I can answer my own question because I don't even remember! But I do know that it started with YGO! I think I was searching something (six years ago! Eep!), and this site came up and well... the rest is history. I was just a reader for a while, but then I made an account and created my first story (which is _hilariously _horrible, in retrospect)! : ) This was way back in the day when this site was frequently down and it took forever to upload a story/chapter and original stories were still part of the same site!

Anyway, I still haven't written chapter six (uh-oh), so I'm sorry if I don't update tomorrow! With this fic, I've been trying to update everyday... because, well... I enjoy updating, anyway! : )

Thanks once again! And do enjoy this chapter – I think another cup of coffee is in order for me!

* * *

**Chapter V: Frustration**

Needless to say, the Japanese exam had not gone well. Jounouchi had been in pain throughout the entirety of the thing, and if that hadn't been enough to distract him, he kept thinking of Kaiba and their fight. Now it was the end of the day, and after the rest of his classes had gone just as terribly, he was ready to call it a day. Now he was slowly walking out of the building, dragging his feet.

"Jou-kun!" Anzu came up beside the blonde, panting slightly. "Jou-kun, I've been trying to talk to you all day!"

And he had purposely been avoiding his friends. "Sorry," he mumbled quietly.

She stopped in front of him, just as they reached the steps that led down from the building's entrance. "What are you hiding?" she demanded. "And what happened to your face and arm? We've all been worried about you!"

"I'm okay, Anzu. I just ran into some trouble last night. It's over now. Don't worry about it, 'k?" Jounouchi reached out and ruffled her hair.

She eyed him suspiciously. "I know you're lying, Jou-kun, but if it's something you really don't want to talk about, I won't bother you anymore." She put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm here for you."

"I know... thanks, Anzu." He smiled at her. "Do you want me to walk you home?"

Anzu made a face. "I'm meeting Yuugi at the arcade in ten minutes. Apparently Yami's still perplexed at the fact that I beat him at a round of pinball and demands another go." She rolled her eyes and added, "You can come too, if you want."

"Nah, I have some homework to do. That test really whooped my ass today. Maybe some other time."

"Okay, Jou-kun. Well, I have to get going. I'll see you tomorrow!" Anzu waved and walked down the rest of the steps.

"Bye." Jounouchi sighed and sat down on the steps of the school. He just needed to rest a little before he headed home. He was drained and he was still in pain – he'd have to reconsider the pain killers if he expected to make it through one more day of school. He was grateful that he didn't work until Saturday.

He was about to get up again when a dark shadow loomed over him. He looked up and found himself looking into two blue eyes. He quickly averted his gaze. God, Kaiba _again_. He could swear the guy was stalking him but he didn't care because he didn't have the energy to deal with him.

Kaiba sat down next to him, his movements indicating that he was rather uncomfortable. "Hey," he said quietly.

Jounouchi slowly looked up at him. "What do you want?" _Go away_.

The words escaped from Kaiba's lips before he could even assess what he was going to say. Speaking without thinking; now that was a first. "I'm sorry that I made you cry."

Jounouchi gaped at him and then snapped, "You didn't make me cry. As if I would ever give you that satisfaction." But he knew that he was lying through his teeth. Kaiba had made him cry; he'd made him feel pathetic, worthless. And it had hurt because he was carrying the world on his shoulders, and no one gave a damn or would cut him any slack.

Kaiba glared at him. "I _saw_ the tears." It was true; the tears had ripped at his cold heart. Did he really need to belittle someone who clearly had self-esteem issues to begin with? Since when was someone's misery supposed to make him happy? God, it was so different with Jounouchi. He could keep denying it, but the reason he always picked on him was because he was intrigued by him; almost attracted to him. No, he _was_ attracted to him. And he took that attraction out on him.

"Fuck you, man. I'm sick of your bullshit!"

"For Christ's sake, I just _apologized_ and then you go and rip my head off!" Kaiba got to his feet quickly. "Forget I even said anything."

Jounouchi stood, too. "How do you even expect me to accept an apology when it's the first time you've ever talked to me like I was a human being?" He quickly descended the steps, the late afternoon rays of the sun illuminating his face. He started walking away from the school and then he felt the hand grip his shoulder.

"Look at me," Kaiba said firmly from behind him.

Jounouchi froze but slowly turned around and looked at Kaiba. The brunette let go of his shoulder and the two stared at each other for what seemed like a very long time.

The blonde fiddled nervously with his jacket, finally averting his gaze. "Kaiba, I – "

"I meant what I said." He was standing there, hands at his sides as a small breeze caressed his dark hair. His eyes were still cold, but if examined closely, one could detect the sliver of warmth that was threatening to well up.

Kaiba's words hung soft and gentle in the air, so unlike him that Jounouchi had to give his head a slight shake to make sure that he wasn't imagining it. He licked his dry lips and finally replied with, "I don't get it, Kaiba. I just don't understand. Now leave me alone." He turned back around and started walking again, this time briskly so he could avoid another encounter with the brunette.

Jounouchi was confused because he had seen Kaiba's blue eyes brimming with emotion. Genuine sincerity. He sighed softly as he turned into an alley which served as a short cut for him... and immediately wished that he hadn't.

Standing there, in the fading light, were Kyuuseishu and two others that he had not seen before. He gasped and turned to go back out the way he came, but Ken'o was blocking that way.

"We have one more task for you to fulfill and you had better be willing to oblige us," Kyuuseishu said softly but threateningly. He took a step towards the blonde and his hand reached out and grabbed the collar of his shirt. "I'm sure you'll be more than happy to do us the favour." With his other hand, he struck Jounouchi across the face.

Jounouchi's heart pounded in his chest as his cheek throbbed from the hit. He knew that if he struggled they would just kill him right then and there. His facial expression remained blank, but on the inside he had begun to panic.

_There's no way out_.


	6. Desperation

**A/N**: Konnichiwa, mina-san! : ) I hope you are all well! Yay! I managed to finish chapter six! I apologize in advance, though; it was very late when I wrote it. I, of course, went through and edited any spelling/grammatical errors that I could find, but my eye may have missed a thing or two. ; )

In other news, this story has officially received forty reviews! Honestly, I can't believe it! My eyes just about popped out of my head! Thank you _so _much; I really appreciate it! : )

**Kalinovskaja**: No worries, m'dear! Actually, yesterday wasn't a particularly good day for me, either! So you weren't alone in your suffering! ; ) Thanks for still reviewing, though! : ) I, too, like the scene where Seto attempts to apologize! It made me feel all mushy after I wrote it (sigh, I am a hopeless romantic sap)! Ah, DBZ – probably one of the first animes I ever watched! Fond memories! You take care, too, and I hope today went more smoothly! : )

**devotedtodreams**: Heheh, _finally_ there will be more Seto/Jou action! Not in this chapter, but in the next few! : ) I'm so excited to write them! Thanks for your review! : )

**ONIX-21**: Ah, yes, they will be getting closer later on – much closer. : ) Thanks!

**-Nightly Halo-**: Thanks for all the reviews! : ) Heheh, and in response to your question... my favourite coffee flavour is... coffee! lol! Actually, I put in two creams and two sugars. : ) And as far as something like International Delight coffee cream goes, I like French Vanilla and Irish Cream. : ) I've never heard of Rainforest Nut... hmm... : )

**astalder27**:Haha, I loved watching _Yu-Gi-Oh!_ on Saturday mornings as well! : ) Eventually I stopped, though, because... my interest waned and I got particularly busy. : ) Thanks!

**N.M. Smith – Mr. Cackles**: I love writing sexual tension between Kaiba and Jou. Really! I'd love to think that Takahashi-sama was thinking the same thing! lol! : )

**TheChazz**: I'm glad you like my story and I'm glad I made you want to write your own fic! : ) Thanks for reviewing! Oh, to get the line, all you have to do is align center, type four dashes, and hit return/enter! : ) When you're previewing your work in the document editor, there is a 'vertical line' insert button next to the bold and italics buttons! : )

**Astrolita Karatase**: Thanks! : ) Here is another update, heheh! And I love cliff hangers! They make the world go 'round. : )

**melodyz07**: Oh, don't worry... Seto will find out that it was Jou, eventually. : ) I'm not going to tell you his reaction, though! Hehe! It's too bad that there aren't more stories in the French section! Il ya a trois ans, probablement, j'ai lu une histoire française pour _Yu-Gi-Oh!_. L'histoire était bonne, mais je ne me souviens pas l'intrigue. I butchered that, didn't I? It's been a while! ; ) Thanks for reviewing!

**the acrobat hapsby**: Thank you so much for the compliments! Yeah, I wasn't sure what she called him, so I decided to take creative liberties. : ) Actually, I thought this pairing was dead, too, and was surprised to see last month when I wrote my other story, that so many people still read it! Woo! : ) Thanks for the salute! So many caffeine lovers on here!

Thanks for the incredible responses, guys! You make me feel so special! ; ) **So, instead of asking you guys another question, you guys can ask me some questions**! Be creative – or don't! Haha, it doesn't matter to me! I'll respond in the next chapter's author notes! This should be interesting – I can't wait! : )

So here we go with chapter six! Oh! Before I forget – the Japanese! No one asked about the meanings, but I'll put them here anyway!

**Niryuu** – inferior

**Bakayarou – **bastard

**Jigoku ni ike – **go to hell

Heheh! Enjoy, guys!

* * *

**Chapter VI: Desperation**

"So, I can count on you to get the job done without any problems, niryuu?" Kyuuseishu smirked. He noticed the sling holding the blonde's injured arm. "Got yourself fixed up real nice, eh? We must have left quite a mark on you."

Jounouchi glared at his assailant, ignored the question, and growled, "Jigoku ni ike, bakayarou!" His words were angry, but he still did not struggle against the iron-grip. He was scared, but he couldn't let it show; it was essential that he at least made an effort to stand up for himself. He could not let this man get the best of him.

Kyuuseishu shook him threateningly and the others closed in slightly. "You're a feisty little whelp, aren't you? Well, since you don't seem so keen on the idea, how 'bout this: _if you don't do it, we'll kill you._" He smiled widely, showing an array of crooked teeth. The man was not lying; to him, Jounouchi was just another pawn in their sick little trade.

Jounouchi sucked in a breath. They would kill him? As cliché as it was, he was too young to die.

"We only need you just this once," Kyuuseishu growled. "Now you'll do as I say, got that? We wouldn't want to involve others, you know?" He levelled his eyes with Jounouchi's and smirked lightly.

"What do you want me to do?" Jounouchi finally asked quietly after several silent moments.

Kyuuseishu let go of him and nodded at one of the men who was standing beside him. He was handed a small but heavy brown package. "You need to take this package to the address written on it. We would do it ourselves, but the cops hanging around over there are likely going to recognize us. You, on the other hand, will _probably _slip by unnoticed. You'll deliver that package and you'll bring us back the money that you receive for it immediately. Got it? Failure to comply will result in your very painful death. Heheh, guess ya should have thought twice before leaving us hanging at such an important time!"

Hesitantly, Jounouchi asked, "What's in it?"

"Don't be stupid, you dumb blonde. It's cocaine," Kyuuseishu replied curtly.

"Why me?" Jounouchi asked miserably. He felt sick; this was the kind of thing that he wasn't proud of and that's why he'd stopped. And now, here they were, holding his life over him. He valued his life, but he had the sneaking suspicion that they knew things about his friends. If that were true, then he had no right to devalue their lives, too.

Kyuuseishu must have been sick of the questions, because the next thing Jounouchi knew, there was a gun pointed at his head. He swallowed hard as he felt the cool metal touch his temple.

"Shut your fucking mouth already," Kyuuseishu snapped, and the others snickered. He rapped the metal hard against Jounouchi's skull. "Now get the fuck going. I expect you back here in one hour. If not, well..." he trailed off, smirking.

Jounouchi's head pounded. "What?"

"We'll get your friends, too. And don't think we don't know anything about them. We've followed you several times, Jounouchi."

_I was right_. He felt like he was drowning. "Leave my friends out of this!" Why had he been so stupid? Why did he have to get involved with these guys in the first place? He swallowed the bile that was rising in his throat.

Kyuuseishu thrust the package into his hands. "Go," he snarled. "And don't fucking talk to anybody on the way there or on the way back." He nodded at Ken'o and he took Jounouchi roughly by the arm and shoved him out of the alley.

"Back at this exact spot in an hour," he said lowly, and left to rejoin the others.

Nausea overcame the blonde as he quickly glanced at the address and started walking down the street. It was about fifteen blocks away, and he would have to pass by the school again to get to it. He could go to the police... no, no he couldn't. It would take longer than an hour and they would notice his absence and go after his friends. He felt like he was out of his body, watching himself suffer. He would just get the transaction done and then everything would be over, right?

Just as he was praying that he wouldn't run into anyone he knew, he looked up from his morbid thoughts only to glance Seto Kaiba a block away, heatedly addressing his chauffer. He was standing on the sidewalk that Jounouchi was currently walking on. He thought about crossing the street, but that would only waste time. He felt like he was carrying dynamite; this time was different from the other times he had made deliveries. Never had he been so threatened.

Jounouchi noticed that he was only a few feet from Kaiba now. He passed him slowly, and they made brief eye contact. And though Jounouchi hadn't meant to, his eyes were sending a silent plea for help. It seemed that he was walking in slow motion, but he was eventually past the brunette.

Then, on impulse, he stopped suddenly. "Kaiba," he said, firmly. He knew that he was probably being followed or watched, and that he really couldn't afford to be talking to anybody. But he had to make an effort.

Kaiba immediately snapped around, locking his eyes with Jounouchi's again. "What do you want?" That look he had received from Jounouchi only moments ago... what was _that_? He cast the blonde a puzzled look.

"It's okay; I accept your... apology. I always seem to be getting into... _trouble_." And before Kaiba could say another word, he took off again, walking quickly. His heart pounded and he was feeling light-headed.

The faster he got this dirty job done, the better.

* * *

By the time he returned to the alley, night had fallen and he could no longer really see. The streets in the area were quiet, giving off a slight sense of danger.

The exchange had gone smoothly – surprisingly, considering that everything had been going wrong lately. Not one word had been exchanged between him and the woman who had greeted him at the door. He had taken the money and had practically run back. He guessed that it was now almost seven o'clock.

Jounouchi approached the alley cautiously, but cried out in surprise when he was grabbed forcefully and dragged in. A hand covered his mouth as he was slammed against the wall of one of the buildings. A harsh light flooding in from a nearby streetlight just barely illuminated the narrow way.

"You got the money, blondie?" Kyuuseishu's voice came trickling through.

"Y – Yes," Jounouchi stuttered, still startled by the sudden grab.

"Give it to me," the criminal demanded.

Jounouchi reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. "Here." He handed it to Kyuuseishu and watched as he counted it. He noticed that everyone else was gone – just another indication that the leader was pretending to be macho. Kyuuseishu clearly thought that he could handle the situation all by his lonesome. Jounouchi silently wondered if he could take the bastard.

It was quiet for a moment before Kyuuseishu said, "There's two thousand yen missing! Where the fuck is it?" He glared at the shorter boy.

Jounouchi was stunned. "I don't know! That's all she gave me, I swear!"

"You stole it, didn't you?" Kyuuseishu grabbed Jounouchi and pressed him hard against the wall. "Thought you could get back at me by not giving me all of my money? I know her – she wouldn't gyp me!"

"I didn't take it," Jounouchi gasped.

Kyuuseishu backed up a bit, his eyes glowing angrily in the dark. "You've just given me a better excuse to off you, you pathetic whelp." He took out the gun he had earlier.

His heart beat erratically in his chest. So this was it; this was how he was going to die. His throat was dry as he tried to swallow the large lump that had formed. He wasn't going to beg for his life – that would be letting the other win.

Kyuuseishu backed up and pointed the gun at Jounouchi's chest. "It was nice knowing you, pal. But at least now I know that our secret will be safe."

Jounouchi trembled but he was not going down without a fight. "You miserable fuck," he growled.

"What did you just call me?" Kyuuseishu snapped. He unlocked the safety on the gun. "We'll see who the 'miserable fuck' is once you're down on the ground and drowning in a pool of your own blood!" He was just about to pull the trigger when a cold voice rang out at the entrance of the alley.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size, you filthy fucking son of a bitch?"


	7. Indication

**A/N**: Good morning, afternoon, or evening, wherever you may be! Wow, already chapter seven! I must admit, I never saw myself being here! I thought that I would post _Another Drink _as my little stint on this site and then be done again! But no – it evolved into several one-shots and another chapter fic! I must say, I do owe my reviewers a big thanks for all the wonderful encouragement, motivation and inspiration! : )

**ONIX-21**: Thank you, once again! I've been trying to keep my updates regular! I'm usually one chapter ahead, but I've gotten a bit behind! Don't worry, though, I will finish this story! : )

**TheChazz**: No problem! Um, and as for the answer to your question, I don't really count myself as an 'amazing' writer! It's just something I love to do! Every story, chapter, poem - whatever - is just another way to improve the skill! : ) Thanks for the compliment, though!

**Kalinovskaja**: That's hilarious because Clint Eastwood is what came to mind when I was editing that scene! I was just like, oh dear... maybe I should change the line because it sounds too much like Clint Eastwood... and not Kaiba! lol! I decided to keep it anyway, though! Great minds think alike, it would seem! And yeah, I've seen a couple of documentaries on gangs and anyone who tries to leave is usually mutilated or killed! It's horrible!

As for your question – music! Music, music, music! I just love it! It helps me relax and it takes me away from reality! A nice long walk or even writing a poem usually helps, too! : ) Ah, you've given me an idea for a question to ask you guys! : )

**melodyz07**: Answers (hopefully) await you in this chapter! In answer to your question – oh my! I have read many, many great and fantastic puppyshipping stories! However, I do have an absolute favourite, and it's more of a friendship fiction between the two. The story is _Being Dead Ain't Easy_ by D. Draggy. This story was published in April of '03 and spans 37 chapters! I followed that story like a hawk from the beginning to the end! Everything about it is perfect – the idea, the vocab, the characters are in character! It's amazing! I would highly suggest reading it if you haven't already! : )

Et l'autre question – je suis canadienne. : ) I used to be able to read and write French decently (and my speaking was mediocre), but I haven't had a French class in two years. ; )

**devotedtodreams**: Haha, thanks for the 'chapter title' comment! I have to think about those for a while before I come up with a decent one! : ) I feel sorry for Jou! I hope things get better for him (I know nothing)! :P

Oh, goodness! What an interesting question! I may have to think about this... well, puppyshipping comes in so many forms that the song could range from hard rock to the sappiest love song there is! For something sappy, _Apologize_ by OneRepublic (they always seem to argue) or _Tearsdrops on My Guitar_ by Taylor Swift. : ) As for something kind of rock-y, _Makin' Sunshine_ by The Trews. : )

As for your other question, yes, my parents do approve of my writing! They're the type that would support me in whatever I would do! Not only is writing my hobby, but I hope to one day have a career in it. : ) I've been writing for a long, long time and I plan on writing for an even longer time!

**lennonislove**: Woo! I'm glad you got sucked into this fandom! : ) What a wonderful thing! And happy watching! The series gets better and better! : ) Thanks for the review !

**-Nightly Halo-**: lol! But I love cliff hangers! : ) As for your question... my favourite kind of cheese is mozzarella or mild cheddar! Teehee! And I will definitely keep the Rainforest Nut thing in mind! I'm always willing to try new kinds of coffee! Hehe... coffee! How I love it!

**N.M Smith – Mr. Cackles**: That seemed like the perfect place to stop! Mwhaha! : ) As for your question – I've liked puppyshipping basically since I started reading fanfiction for _Yu-Gi-Oh! _So that's like... six years in the making. Oh, my! What a long time! : ) It took me a while to get really into it, but I did. I mostly just read the stories, though, and didn't write them. Not until now, anyway! : )

**Ellinida**: lol! Yes, quickly! Haha, thanks for reviewing. : )

Thanks for all the questions! I had fun with them! I hope that I answered them to your satisfaction! Now I have another question (which was inspired by Kalinovskaja)!: **What is your passion?** What is the one thing that you love, that you could never give up?

I have two passions so far in this life time, and the first one is writing. I've always loved writing, and probably always will. My second is music. Even though I don't play an instrument or even sing very well, music is almost my life. I love everything – classical, jazz, rock, choir, pop, hip-hop, instrumental – you name it! : ) My _absolute _favourite band is The Beatles. 'Nuff said! And trivia fact – _Night's Caress_ was inspired by and written to the lovely sounds of the _Pride & Prejudice _soundtrack, composed by Dario Marianelli. : )

Anyway, I think I've talked enough! Eep, once again, a ridiculously long author's note! Please enjoy this chapter. : ) Oh – I probably won't update tomorrow, just a head's up. I've got things to do. ; )

See you in the next chapter! : )

* * *

**Chapter VII: Indication**

Kyuuseishu immediately turned his gun on whoever was stationed at the entrance of the alley, but was instead greeted with a shot to the chest. He fell to the ground, gasping as blood spurted from the hole that the bullet had created near his heart.

Jounouchi was still against the wall. He would know that voice anywhere. _Kaiba? _

He saw someone approaching him quickly and instantly recognized the CEO. He stared at him, his mouth agape. "What are you doing here?" he whispered, shocked. He felt himself begin to sink against the wall but was surprised when he felt one arm slip under his own and pull him up.

Kaiba gripped him tightly, trying to steady him. "Are you okay?" One could almost swear that there were several notes of worry in that one simple sentence.

"I'm fine, but... h-how did you... know?" Things were happening quickly and his fatigued mind was having a hard time keeping up.

Kaiba regarded him, his eyes softening a bit. "You said you were in trouble."

"You understood what I meant?" Jounouchi was now tightly gripping Kaiba back, for fear if he did not, he would surely fall over. He was shocked that the brunette had come for him; incredibly shocked.

Kaiba nodded slowly. "It was the look in your eyes that set me off, really – and then there was the hint." He noted that Jounouchi was pale and trembling slightly. No doubt – Kaiba knew that if the gun was pointed at him, he would probably be no different. He shook his head then, as if to clear away some other thought.

"You shot him," Jounouchi finally said, eyeing the unmoving body just a few feet from them.

"The authorities will be here soon to deal with this mess," Kaiba responded. "They've already got the others in custody."

"T – They do?"

"As soon as you signalled me, I immediately alerted the Domino police force. The other gang members had already separated from their leader, so it wasn't hard for them to be tracked down. I told them not go after the leader because... I mean... just in case he already had you," Kaiba elaborated. He would refuse to admit it to the blonde, but he had been scared for him.

Jounouchi opened his mouth to respond but snapped it shut. So the authorities were coming, then. He let go of Kaiba and his head dropped into his hands. So that would mean that he would at least go to jail for being involved with them, and for delivering the cocaine and then there was his previous involvement, too.

Kaiba seemed to be reading his thoughts. He put his hand on blonde's shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze. "You're not going to jail, Jounouchi. I've given the police my word that you were forced into this and as for previous connections... I've told them that there were none, and that anything those criminals may say is a lie. And if they were to doubt what I said... they would just be making things difficult for themselves. I practically own this city."

Before Jounouchi could say another word, there were bright lights and wailing sirens, and Kaiba was guiding him out of the alley.

"Just answer their questions and then I'm taking you to a doctor," Kaiba said quietly. It was time to put this nightmare away.

* * *

Two hours later, Jounouchi was sitting in the same room he had been in barely twenty-four hours earlier. Kyuuseishu was still alive – Kaiba's shot had not killed him, but now he was in custody and was probably going to be locked up for a very long time. The police officer had asked about the shot, and Kaiba had merely responded that it was defence. The guy had shrugged, not wanting to argue with the billionaire.

So Jounouchi had answered the questions from the police – not that they had asked him much, probably due to Kaiba's persuasion, and now he was waiting for Amarante.

Kaiba stood awkwardly on the other side of the room, his arms crossed and his face thoughtful. They hadn't said a word to each other since arriving.

Amarante entered the room then, and when she saw who her patient was, she gasped. "Jounouchi! What happened?" She walked over to the bed briskly.

He gave her a weak smile. "I guess you could say I that I got involved with the wrong people."

She sighed softly. "Come on then, take off your jacket. I'm going to have your blood tested."

Jounouchi's eyes widened. "Why?"

"Because we didn't get a chance to do it yesterday. Anyway, I have the distinct feeling that you'll be back again, so we might as well find out your blood type and see if your white cell count is at a healthy level." She rolled up the sleeve of his t-shirt. "Hmm, I think I'll change your bandages too. What happened to the one on your eye? It's all askew!"

Jounouchi just shifted uncomfortably.

Amarante clucked. "And _you_," she said to Kaiba, "you should be taking better care of your partner!"

Kaiba's head shot up and his eyes widened. He made a move to open his mouth but she had already walked out of the room to get a few things. _Partner? Dear God. She's thinks we're... she thinks..._ For the first time in his life, Seto Kaiba was speechless. But for some reason, the idea didn't quite disturb him as much as his outer appearance seemed to show.

Jounouchi's cheeks had since turned a very dark shade of red, and since he was rather fair skinned, it showed clearly. He lowered his head so Kaiba wouldn't see his face.

Amarante walked back into the room, a damp cotton swab and syringe in hand. She dabbed lightly at Jounouchi's arm and inserted the needle, slowly drawing blood up into the vile. "So," she said, glancing at Kaiba, then back to Jounouchi, "what's his name?"

"Um," was all Jounouchi could get out.

"I'm Seto Kaiba," he said lightly, frowning deeply. He found it odd that she didn't recognize him – _everyone_ recognized him.

Amarante finished drawing the blood, and slowly pulled the needle out. She capped the vile of blood. "Well, that's slightly ironic, isn't it Jou-kun? That man last night found you right outside of Kaiba Corporation. Funny that Kaiba-sama didn't notice anything strange. The man said that the lights were still on in the building, and that he had just seen Kaiba-sama minutes earlier." She cast Kaiba a wistful look. "You need to pay more attention to your surroundings!" And then she walked out of the room.

A dark and heavy silence had fallen, and at this point, both Jounouchi and Kaiba had turned very pale, similar thoughts running through their heads.


	8. Invitation

**A/N**: Wow, things are about to get kind of mushy – which is great for all of you romance die-hards! I must admit, these next few chapters are going to be quite interesting, and chapter ten (holy cow!) is going to see a change in rating. : ) Is chapter ten even written yet? Yes, yes it is! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Oh, and good news – I do believe that the final chapter count will be 14! So still six more! : )

**Kalinovskaja**: Wow! We are quite similar! Kind of eerie, isn't it? But pretty cool, too! ; ) As for the marriage proposal – in time, dear, in time! I still have a pending proposal from Johnny Depp (I wish)! lmao! : ) And yes, I can also live without the material things, but music is like my lifeline. So glad to know that you love music! :D Mahaha, let's hear it for connections! I had several coffee breaks this weekend! I hope you did, too! They were rather enjoyable... and then I went on a walk to get some inspiration for later chapters for this story! ; )

**ONIX-21**: I'm glad that you're happy with my 'quick' updating! It's amazing, because I'm such a procrastinator! Thanks for the kind words! : )

**Astrolita Karatase**: All the answers lie within! Hehe! -winks back- Perhaps there are going to be some surprises? You never know! : )

**devotedtodreams**: lol! You're completely right – that is an incredibly sexy image! And yeah, I figured that I should provide a bit of comic relief because things may start to get dramatic again! Dun, dun, dun! ; ) Ah, another music lover! This is indeed excellent! Music is a great tool for inspiration. : )

**pennypigeon**: I'm glad you took the time to read! : ) Thanks for reviewing!

**-Nightly Halo-**: Kyuuseishu means 'saviour' in Japanese. : ) I thought it would be fitting in an ironic kind of way! As for the references to _Naruto _and _Rurouni Kenshin – _I know little of either, so it's not from there! ; ) Though I used to read _Naruto _in _Shounen Jump_! Anyway, I also like J-pop and J-rock! : ) Many good artists in those categories! Good luck with your career choice! : ) Hehe, I can sketch not too badly, but other than that – stick men! :D

Oh, wow... good Bakura/Ryou stories? There are so many! But one I highly recommend is _Bleach _by Artemis Zephyr. Very dark and disturbing (and a one-shot), but also very good! : ) _Til I Hurt You_, by Master Mania is also an excellent fic! : )

**N.M Smith – Mr. Cackles**: I read chapter two and left a review – enjoyed it very much! : ) Thanks for reviewing, m'dear!

**TheChazz**: Thank you once again for the compliment! : ) I really appreciate it! Another music lover – excellent! And you play the violin! Now that's awesome... a lovely instrument!

**XxTypoMasterxX**: Thanks for reviewing! : ) I'm glad you like it!

**melodyz07**: I just love reading your reviews! : ) They're so cute! And as for updating quickly, you guys certainly play a part in it, with all the great reviews! : ) Inspiration, mon amie! Seto and Jou would indeed make a great couple. ; ) Maybe if they start trying hard enough, things will end up that way! Hey, whatever you love – that's a passion, so puppyshipping still counts! ; )

You guys are awesome – seriously. Thanks so much! : ) Anyway, it's likely that I won't update tomorrow (unfinished things to attend to) but I do hope that you enjoy this chapter! I don't have a question this time! –shock- However, I do have a song recommendation, since there are so many music lovers out there!

_Do You Know What I'm Seeing_, by Panic at the Disco, off their new album, _Pretty. Odd_.

See you in numba nine! ; )

* * *

**Chapter VIII: Invitation**

Kaiba was the first to speak, breaking the silence that was enveloping them. "You were outside of Kaiba Corporation last night?" His head was spinning and he clutched at it desperately. _Jounouchi was the person I saw through my window. He could have died! And there I was, not doing a damn thing about it! Oh, my God. Oh, my God. I didn't know! I would have... I should have..._

"Yeah, that was me," Jounouchi responded coldly. "You... did you see me?"

There was no point in lying. "Yes, but I didn't know that – "

"Oh, so if you had known that it was me, you would have come out to help me? Jesus, Kaiba! Should it even matter? The point is that there was someone who could have used your help and you ignored it!" Jounouchi felt physically ill. "How can you be so selfish?"

"You don't understand! I – I regret the fact that I didn't take any action. The guilt's been eating me up inside and I've been wondering if that person was okay! Now I find out that it was you. God, everything makes so much sense now." Kaiba's demeanour had slipped and he looked truly horrified by the thought that Jounouchi could have died.

"Whatever," Jounouchi replied angrily. "I don't even believe this!"

"I saved you tonight!" Kaiba snapped. "But I suppose that counts for nothing!"

"You probably saved me out of pity, knowing you!" Jounouchi spat. He was confused; part of him was eternally grateful towards Kaiba for saving his life and the other part of him wanted to march right over to him and sock him in the face.

"I'm sorry! I really don't know what else to say," Kaiba trailed off and hung his head, looking slightly ashamed. He'd never been sorry about anything in his life, but there was a first time for everything. "And I didn't do it out of pity. Really, I just wanted to help you because..." He cut himself off.

Those words hit Jounouchi hard and he felt the tears before he could stop them. When had he become such a cry baby? "Kaiba, you just don't understand! You don't understand this!" He was surprised when he saw the brunette move from against the wall and come and sit down beside him, much like he had done earlier that day. He clenched his teeth, trying to stop those damn tears.

"I may not understand much about you, but I think that I understand your pain." Following this statement, Kaiba timidly reached out and pulled the blonde to him, pressing his head against his chest, hands threading in his golden hair.

Jounouchi froze, tears still slowly running down his cheeks. "What are you doing?" he whispered. It felt weird – no, scratch that. It felt _right_ and it felt _comfortable_, but God damn, this was _Seto Kaiba_.

"Holding you," Kaiba responded, his voice soft, any hint of venom gone. "Just let me hold you." His emotions were definitely out of the vault now. He'd been keeping them down for so long that it was hard to contain them anymore.

And Jounouchi let him hold him, resting his head on the brunette's chest, listening to the steady and strong rhythm of his heart. So he really did have a heart. He found himself exhaling the troubles of the world away as his body relaxed. It felt nice... just to be held. Kaiba was stroking his hair gently, and well... that felt nice, too. He wasn't sure what to say, so he said nothing. He felt at peace – a rare feeling in his life.

Kaiba watched Jounouchi's eyes close, and felt his breathing steady. He didn't know how these events or even this moment would change things, if things changed at all. He just knew that he liked this; that he liked holding Jounouchi and feeling close to him. It was an odd sensation, though not really new.

_Because the truth is_ _I've always had a soft spot for Jounouchi_, Kaiba told himself. _Even though I've never admitted it to myself until now, I've always...liked him. I think I might..._

"I never would have guessed that Jou-kun's blood type is B," Amarante said, strolling into the room, interrupting Kaiba's thoughts. She stopped immediately, though, noting the scene before her.

Kaiba looked up, noticing that Jounouchi had not stirred. Quietly, he said, "Sorry, I don't think I caught your name."

"Uh, Amarante," she answered softly, her eyes falling onto Jounouchi. She had already developed a soft spot for the kid. He seemed like he had been through a lot in his short life. The look on his face was so serene; a definite change from the anxiousness and apprehensiveness she had noted earlier.

"Yes, Amarante...do you think you could make a quick trip to the waiting room and tell my driver we'll be ready to leave just as soon as you change his bandages?"

She nodded. "Sure, Kaiba-sama. It would seem that Jou-kun is very lucky to have you." She cast the CEO a warm smile and once again left the room.

Her words were certainly not true, but Kaiba decided that it was a nice thought to entertain. He grazed his hand against the pale cheek, almost affectionately, and then rested it on his shoulder, which he then shook gently.

Jounouchi opened his eyes, but much to Kaiba's surprise, he didn't move. He noted that his eyes were void of tears and looked slightly clearer now.

"Your bandages; Amarante is going to change them," Kaiba replied.

Then Jounouchi pulled away, feeling slightly embarrassed for dozing off like that. Kaiba had been so warm and he had said that he wanted to hold him. _I liked it_, he thought. _I never would have thought that this guy could be so comforting. He was so gentle..._ He felt himself flush slightly and tried to stop his thoughts. _Remember, this is also the guy that tries to make every day a living hell for you_.

"This is going to sound strange, but...do you want to stay with me tonight?" Kaiba asked quietly.

Stay with him tonight? He knew that his dad wouldn't notice his absence, anyway, so he could. But did he want to? It was so weird. Things were happening too quickly. He was still partially stuck in the mode where Kaiba treated him like dirt and he responded unkindly. It just didn't make sense. He had seen such a change in the brunette in only a few hours.

_Maybe I've changed too_.

"Please." Kaiba's blue eyes were so sincere. "I think we need to talk."

Jounouchi swallowed hard and then replied hesitantly, "I don't understand what's gotten into you, or maybe if you're still feeling guilty, but okay, Kaiba. I'll trust you, even if it's just for tonight."

Kaiba just nodded and looked away from him.

What where they getting themselves in to?


	9. Confirmation

**A/N**: I know I said that I probably wasn't going to update today, but here I am! I figured, well, I have the chapter done and ready to go, so why not? : ) I'm almost done chapter eleven, now! -throws a mini-party- I'm absolutely thrilled that so many of you have been enjoying the story so far! : )

**ONIX-21**: Awh, I'm glad you thought that it was sweet! : ) Thanks!

**Kalinovskaja**: Teehee! You totally crack me up! : ) And well, that Captain Jack Sparrow _is_ definitely something else! Why's the rum always gone?! lol! Hey, I also love being helpless against caffeine! It's a wonderful (?!) feeling to know that such a substance has so much control of your life! Hehehe! As for the hospital scene... I quite enjoyed writing that! Oh, dear! I would do anything for chocolate at the moment! Perhaps I will have to swing by somewhere and pick some up! : )

**TheChazz**: I'm also always looking for new songs! : ) Glad you liked the chapter – thanks muchly!

**lennonislove**: Awh, thanks for the compliment! It really makes me happy when my writing evokes emotion in my reviewers! : )

**devotedtodreams**: Thank you! I also wonder what will happen at Seto's place... lol! Just kidding, I'm the author! Of course I know... or do I? dun dun dun ; ) And nope, you can never have too much music, that's for sure!

**Ellinida**: Thanks for the compliment! As for the seme Jounouchi and uke Seto (yet another person who wants this) I will be writing a one-shot with that after I'm finished with this fic! : ) It seems to be quite popular, so I guess I could try writing it... ; ) And the rating will go up in chapter ten!

**Astrolita Karastase**: Ah! I am writing the rest, I swear! In my spare time! I have chapter eleven almost complete! : ) Thank you for the compliments, though!

**-Nightly Halo-**: lol! That's awesome! I'm so glad that I put a smile on your face! Hahaha, always fun when school gets cancelled! More time to read, ne? ; )

**pennypigeon**: You think so, eh? ; ) I guess you'll see soon enough!

**N.M. Smith – Mr. Cackles**: -anime style weeping ensues- Thank you so much! I'm glad that I'm one of your favourite authors! :D As for more Seto/Jou stories... let's see... _Kicking the Habit _by **Regann**; _Dear Bonkotsu _by** iloveatem** (and she has other Seto/Jou fics, too)!; _Fervor_ by **Mr. Seto Kaiba's Secretary**; _Will Do Favours _by **Ariadne Bassarid**; _Escape Through Me _by** Seto'swhiterose**; and _Sun, fun and nothing to do? (_with other pairings, too)by **devotedtodreams **is off to a great start! : ) Of course, there are _so many_ good fics out there, and these are only a select few!

**XxTypoMasterxX**: I know! See, Seto can have a heart! ; ) Thanks for reviewing!

Well, that was fun! : ) So yes, the rating will be changing to **M** soon, just as a head's up! Hope you continue to read, anyway!

Ah, okay, so here's an interesting question, one that I could really use help with! **What should I write next, in terms of Seto/Jou? **I've already started planning the seme-Jou one shot that seems to be wanted by a few! But what else? Something humorous, angsty, dramatic, fluffy – what? Tell me what you think or what you might like to see! : )

Anyway, that is all for now! I will see you in chapter ten!

Until then, adios and enjoy! ; )

* * *

**Chapter IX: Confirmation**

A while later, Jounouchi was sitting awkwardly on a couch in Kaiba's very expensive-looking living room, fidgeting nervously. He jiggled his leg as he tapped his good hand against it and he really wished that he had a cigarette to calm his nerves.

In front of him was a fireplace; the only thing adorning its mantel was a photo of a younger Mokuba and Kaiba. The rest of the living room was very plain, save for a few paintings and a bookshelf. The only things that gave it a bit of life were the sleek leather couch and chair.

Amarante had changed his bandages and had given him a quick but thorough check-up. Then Kaiba had taken him here so they could 'talk.' Once again, the car ride had been silent, neither one of them wanting to bring up the subject of what had happened in the hospital room.

Kaiba entered the room from what Jounouchi guessed was the kitchen and looked at him. He was standing straight as a board, not really moving. His face was expressionless, except for a sudden twitch of the mouth. Then, suddenly, he spoke. "Do you really hate me?"

Jounouchi looked uncomfortable. He sure as hell had hated him when he had uttered those words that morning. But so much had changed since then and Kaiba had _saved_ his life. "No, I don't suppose I do," he replied quietly.

"I didn't realize that you were in so much trouble," Kaiba continued. "I guess I just assumed things about your life that I shouldn't have. Now I have a little bit of insight and I'm sorry for treating you so badly. I'm not one to talk about feelings or anything like that, but when I realized that you could have been viciously murdered like that, I was rather scared." He strode forward and was now standing directly in front of Jounouchi.

Jounouchi felt a strange feeling envelop him. _Damn it, why is this guy making me feel so soft? What's gotten into him? What's gotten into __**me**__? Don't let your defences down... _"You've treated me like shit the entire time we've known each other, Kaiba. Why change things now?" he demanded, rising. "What do you want from me?"

And then it was like all logic, all reason had abandoned the CEO. He stepped forward, his face inches from Jounouchi's. Reaching his hand out, he rested it on the blonde's cheek, his thumb stroking the skin softly. He leaned slightly forward and pressed his lips against Jounouchi's, kissing him gently.

Jounouchi's eyes widened and his brain had a difficult time in making a decision – keep letting Kaiba kiss him or get away. His body seemed to have other ideas, though, because he found himself falling into it, his eyes closing. _What are you doing, you idiot? _His mind protested the actions loudly. Kaiba's tongue dancing on his lips was his wake up call as he stumbled backwards. He wiped at his mouth furiously.

"What was that about?" he demanded, panting.

Blue met amber. "I've wanted to do that."

"What the hell, Kaiba?" The kiss had confused him because it was _good_. It had felt nice and the only thing wrong with it was that Seto Kaiba was the instigator. Or was that even a problem?

"If you didn't like it, perhaps you shouldn't have started to kiss me back," Kaiba said flatly, suddenly feeling defensive. Those lips were delicious and he wanted more of them. _Oh, God. What the hell is wrong with me? I just kissed my worst enemy and then tried to slip him the tongue. _The other part of him was much more honest. _Don't you dare kid yourself. You've wanted that for so long._

"I..."

Kaiba just quirked an eyebrow. "What?"

"We can't do this. Oh, god. I need to get going. I'm losing control, here." Jounouchi started to walk but was stopped by a firm grab.

Kaiba pulled Jounouchi to him and kissed him again, this time more passionately and more heatedly. "Jounouchi," he said, "I have to tell you something." There was no point in lying now. This day had been weird enough – might as well complete it with a confession.

Jounouchi's heart pounded as he tried to get a hold of himself. His palms were sweaty and his chest was tightening slightly from the extremity of it all.

"I w_ant _you."

The blonde gasped. "W – What?"

"Fuck, Jounouchi, the reason why I can never leave you alone is because for some stupid fucking reason, I find myself constantly thinking about you," Kaiba snapped, obviously flustered. "I don't know why, I don't know how – god damn it, I don't know _anything_ anymore, and that's what pisses me off the most!"

"You want me?" Jounouchi repeated quietly, shocked. His heart was beating erratically and he was sure that he was blushing. _Kaiba wants me? What? Wait a minute! That's... that's just not possible! I mean, I've always been attracted to him on some level, but I'm pretty sure that I don't want – oh, god. Do I? _He thought back to all of the times he had eyed the brunette a little longer than necessary and had shyly let his mind wander to thoughts a little less than innocent. But now it was too real, and he was at a loss for words.

Kaiba had since taken a seat, his head in his hands, brown hair dishevelled. "I hate it because I want it and _don't_ want it at the same time! Jesus, Jounouchi, you've reduced me to a pathetic mess, and that's where most of my anger towards you comes from!"

Jounouchi could only stare at his supposed enemy, his mouth hanging open. "Kaiba, I..." He sat down next to the CEO, his one arm slung heavily against him while the other rested in his lap. _What do I say_? _Do I get away now? _

"I suppose, at the end, I just wish things could be different." Kaiba sighed, almost in relief, and sat up straight. Damn it. He probably had never been that straight forward with his feelings before, albeit ones dangerously lustful.

Then Jounouchi did something he wasn't sure if he was going to regret later or not. He put his hand on Kaiba's leg and said, "Let's make things different, then." He closed the distance between their mouths and found himself kissing Kaiba none-too-gently.

_Sometimes rationality is not even a possibility._


	10. Exploration

**A/N**: Why, hello! Chapter ten! Phew! So what happened is that I blended chapter eleven with this chapter! I figured that I might as well, and since you guys have been such great reviewers... : ) As you may have noticed, the rating on this fic is now **M**. And if you haven't figured out why after reading this chapter, then... well... -sweatdrop- ; ) To be plainly obvious, I issue a **strong warning for sexual content** in this chapter! So, currently, there is no chapter eleven... eep! But fear not, it's all written in my head. ; )

**ReMeDy10**: Yay! I'm glad that I... made your day? ; ) Thanks!

**Kalinovskaja**: Hehe, so glad to bring a smile to your face! : ) Any smile is a good one! Thanks for the compliment! -weeps in joy- Perhaps I will have to consider that marriage proposal more thoroughly and ditch my hopes for Johnny! ; ) You have a good point, though – who knows what I'll be feeling when I write next! Heheh! Hopefully not sinister! ; )

**ONIX-21**: Things are heating up, indeed! Thanks for reviewing!

**devotedtodreams**: Wee! Thank you so much! Thanks for the compliment! -weeps again- You guys are too great! Ahh, I don't even know what to say! Except that I'm about to do a very big happy dance...! As for the song I recommended – heheh! I know it's weird! And the chorus... woo! ; )

**TheChazz**: Awh, thank you so much! I'm glad that I helped in turning you into a Seto/Jou fan! -high fives back- And thanks for the suggestion! That's definitely something to look into! Hey – post at your own pace! : ) It makes things easier on you!

**Astrolita Karastase**: Here it is! The phrase at the end – I added that in at the last minute, believe it or not! Thought it completed the chapter more nicely than what I had originally!

**melodyz07**: Thanks for reviewing and for the suggestion! Heheh, I _love_ fluff! Hence why Seto was so nice and gentle last chapter! ; ) I just can't help it!

**-Nightly Halo-**: Thanks muchly for the suggestion and for reviewing! Uh-oh, wheezing isn't good! What, exactly, were you practicing? :O Happy days to you as well!

**N.M. Smith – Mr. Cackles**: Now the story is rated **M**. : ) : ) Thank you so much! And those stories that I listed – amazingly good, eh! : )

**XxTypoMasterxX**: 'Go, go,' indeed! ; )

Well, I don't know when chapter eleven will be out, but I can guarantee it'll be interesting and well – enjoy this chapter while you can! : ) Ominous much? Maybe, maybe not! :D Hehehe! As for today's question: **What was/is** **your favourite subject in school/university (wherever you may be at in life)?**

Well, that's easy – **English/Literature/History/Languages/Philosophy**. : )

See you in eleven! : )

* * *

**Chapter X: Exploration**

Kaiba was slightly surprised at first, but responded by wrapping his arm around Jounouchi's waist and pulling him closer, kissing him fiercely. He sucked and nibbled, and Jounouchi opened his mouth slightly so that the brunette could gain access. His tongue explored the warm cavern, as his hand trailed down to Jounouchi's thigh.

He squeezed it, and the blonde groaned against his mouth, allowing Kaiba to explore him more thoroughly, his tongue darting around eagerly.

Things became slightly physical when Kaiba slid one of his hands up Jounouchi's shirt, carefully avoiding the injured arm. His palm lay flat as he lightly skimmed the smooth expanse of his stomach, up to his chest and down again.

It occurred briefly to Jounouchi that he was letting another _man_ ravage him – another man who happened to be Seto Kaiba, no less – and that he didn't care at all. All he cared about was the pure need that had suddenly appeared before him and after what he'd been through, he intended to have that need fulfilled.

Kaiba was panting, gripping Jounouchi's bare side with one hand, pressing him into the couch with the other, and now leaving a trail of hot kisses from his ear to his neck. "Bedroom – _now_," he managed to sputter out, before stopping his ministrations and grabbing Jounouchi by the hand.

He hurriedly led him down a hall and opened a door. He didn't bother turning on the light – he just backed Jounouchi against the bed until the back of the blonde's knees hit the edge.

Jounouchi couldn't even stop the words from forming in his mind as he watched Kaiba quickly unbutton his shirt and toss it aside, then pull off his pants in what seemed to be a motion bordering on franticness. _I'm about to get laid by Kaiba_.

The only light in the room was the moonlight flooding in from the semi-opened window, but it was just enough for Jounouchi to see the hungered look in the taller boy's eyes. His body was pale and deliciously toned, and when he moved slightly, Jounouchi saw the light outline of his abs flex.

"I suggest that you start stripping," Kaiba growled hotly. His arousal was rather evident through the silk of his burgundy boxers.

Jounouchi gulped and fumbled nervously, trying to get his arm out of the sling. It was okay to bend and move, but it still hurt a bit. So, with one trembling hand, he managed to remove his shirt and toss it next to Kaiba's discarded articles.

Apparently he wasn't taking off his clothes fast enough, because the next thing he knew, Kaiba was yanking his pants off and throwing them to only-god-knows-where, all in one fluid motion. "Have you no prior experience in this area?" he snapped.

Then it occurred to Jounouchi, as he finally fully grasped what he was doing. "Um...no, actually I don't." Much to his discomfort, he felt his cheeks turn red for the umpteenth time that night. Good thing that the lighting was kind of shitty.

Kaiba looked his body up and down for an agonizing moment before he demanded, "Well, how far have you gone?"

Was it just Jounouchi, or did Kaiba seem suddenly to be arrogant and demanding once again? "Um, well... that's a bit personal, don't you think?"

Kaiba reached out and grasped his chin and kissed him hard. "We're about to get _very_ personal, so I don't see any problems with what I just asked." He let his hand wander down Jounouchi's chest, flicking his nipple lightly.

Jounouchi couldn't find any other way to put it without it sounding awkward or stupid, so he just snapped, "It's none of your business!"

Kaiba only smirked at him as he pushed him onto the bed, kissing his mouth again. "Whatever; this will probably be the best damn thing you've ever experienced."

The events of the past twenty-four hours passed through his mind quickly, as he thought of being attacked, his fight with Kaiba, being followed by the gang, and then Kaiba's confession. It seemed like after all the trouble he had been in, the conclusion was going to be that his libido was still perfectly normal, even if the rest of him wasn't.

Kaiba held the one hand down (since the other couldn't do much anyway) and started to kiss Jounouchi's body. His kissed his neck and sucked slightly, leaving a light red mark, then continued down to his nipples. He gave them ample attention, enjoying the fact that they were quite sensitive and every time he bit down or licked them, he was greeted with a soft mewl of pleasure.

Jounouchi had threaded his hands in Kaiba's hair as the CEO made his way down. He was panting as he wondered how Kaiba could have possibly become so talented with his hands and his mouth. It freaked him out a little to consider that possibility, so he blocked it out and became lost in the sensations that were rocking his sensitive body.

Kaiba had stopped his mouth for a moment, to look at the blonde's body. It wasn't rough looking in the least, which surprised him. His skin was smooth and creamy and only a few marks dotted its expanse. His entire torso was toned and lean, and it actually reminded him a little of his own body.

He placed his hands on the elastic of Jounouchi's boxers and pulled them off. He slowly began to lick and nip around the other's lower region, earning several strangled responses.

"Ngh – Kaiba – what – oh _god_!" Jounouchi felt the brunette's warm mouth close around the tip of his member and begin to lightly suck. Furiously, he tried to buck upwards but Kaiba was holding him down well. So he pulled at the brunette's hair, instead, as he pleasured him and took him to a new level of sensation.

By this time, Kaiba had taken the blonde fully into his mouth and was sucking on him both sensually and slowly, trying to bring him closer to that edge of bliss.

It wasn't long before Jounouchi felt the familiar coil in his stomach tighten and his panting become more loud and erratic. But he didn't want _that _just yet. "Kaiba!" he groaned. "S – Stop!" His legs were trembling slightly.

Kaiba did stop, releasing Jounouchi. Then, shooting a very annoyed look, asked, "What is it?"

"Let me... help you out." The blonde somehow found the strength to grab Kaiba's arm and knock him off balance. He took this opportunity to crawl on top of the brunette. He ran his fingers through the dark hair and let his good hand rub circles on Kaiba's skin, slowly making its way down. He reached his boxers and quickly discarded them, proceeding to tease him lightly in his most sensitive area.

"I hope you know," Kaiba moaned, "that is this is the only time that you'll ever get the best of me."

Jounouchi couldn't help but give a half smirk as he wrapped his hand gently around Kaiba's member and began moving it up and down. There was something about being in complete control and dominating the other that the blonde absolutely loved. Kaiba was beneath him making delicious sounds as he neared his release.

But he forgot to take into account that the brunette was a control freak, however, and was surprised when he suddenly found his ministrations stopped. Kaiba had grabbed his busy hand and lightly growled, "Not now." Then gently, he flipped them again.

Placing a soft and almost tender kiss on his cheek, Kaiba said into his ear, "I'm about to take something that you'll never get back, so if you want out, I suggest you go now."

He stared up into Kaiba's eyes, surprised. "I never said that I was a vi – "

"You don't fool me for one second," Kaiba whispered arrogantly.

"Whatever – sexual morals have never been terribly important to me," Jounouchi replied nonchalantly, his breathing heavy and his member still painfully hard.

But on the inside, he was slightly scared.

"Good boy," Kaiba replied huskily, licking at his collar bone. He ran a hand through his slightly damp hair and blindly groped his nightstand for the bottle of hand lotion that he kept sitting there. Finding it, he squeezed some onto his hands and rubbed it into the skin until his hands were slick and moist. Without warning, he placed a finger at Jounouchi's entrance and pushed in slowly.

The blonde shifted in discomfort, the corner of his upper lip twitching in pain. Still, he made no sound. He figured that he had a high tolerance for pain, anyway.

That was until Kaiba added a second finger and began stretching the sensitive skin, scissoring back and forth.

Jounouchi's body stiffened unintentionally, making the process slightly more agonizing. He quietly released a pained cry. "That hurts!"

"Stop tensing your muscles; relax a bit. I'm not _trying_ to hurt you," Kaiba panted. He leaned down and nibbled on his earlobe, then added a third finger.

Jounouchi growled, "God _damn _it, Kaiba!" This was definitely way past any kind of comfort zone. He gripped at the sheets hard, his knuckles turning white.

"I'm sorry," Kaiba murmured softly, and then slowly started to move his fingers in and out. "But be grateful that I didn't just jump you."

It was starting to feel okay - a little weird, but okay. "Ah!" Suddenly Jounouchi cried out as the brunette hit something that made him see stars, and he hit it again and again. He was on the brink of release _again,_ but Kaiba pulled his fingers out and positioned himself, slightly angled, at Jounouchi's entrance. Then he pushed himself in quickly, without warning.

Jounouchi writhed beneath him, mixed sensations of pain and pleasure dancing over his nerve endings. He groaned softly and felt Kaiba lean down and kiss the corner of his mouth. Those magic hands were skilfully grazing his skin, touching him softly and taking away the pain.

The brunette began to move in and out of Jounouchi – slowly at first, but eventually increasing the speed – until they were both crying out softly, voices strangled with pleasure.

Feeling himself near release, Kaiba trailed his hand down Jounouchi's quivering stomach and wrapped his hand around the weeping member, giving it an experimental squeeze. He pumped it in time to his thrusts, also kissing the other's neck. Then Kaiba felt it, felt his essence pouring out of him and into the other as he groaned Jounouchi's name.

Jounouchi came too, crying out, "Kaiba!" in a slightly muffled voice as his muscles tightened and convulsed.

Kaiba stayed still, trying to steady his racing heart. He could feel the perspiration running down his back as his breaths came in large gasps. Slowly and carefully, he pulled out and rolled onto his back and basked in the absolute silence of the moment.

Jounouchi had collapsed, trying to will away the consequences that were already forming in his mind. It wasn't until he felt a gentle hand push through his damp hair that he relaxed. He rolled over to be greeted by a pair of _warm _blue eyes. He also noticed the flush that had developed on Kaiba's cheeks and thought that it suited him quite well. Before he could say a word, the other had already beaten him to it.

"Just don't think. Don't think about anything; don't think about what happened to you today, don't think about the fact that we have school tomorrow, and don't think about what we just did. If you think, you might regret – and I can't deal with regrets right now." Kaiba pulled Jounouchi to his chest and grabbed the spare blanket that was leaning dangerously over the edge of the bed. He threw it over them. "Just sleep." He swept his hand over his cheek in one gentle motion.

The blonde closed his eyes, desperately trying not to think. He rested his head on Kaiba's chest and was surprised to feel his hand lightly stroking his skin everywhere.

And just before he was about to drift off into the bliss that was sleep, he heard Kaiba whisper something into his ear, lips brushing the earlobe.

"For what it's worth, you look beautiful right now."

And then all was quiet.


	11. Trepidation

**A/N**: Good morning, everyone! I hope that your day is going well so far! : ) Here's chapter eleven! -sweats- Heheh, I didn't expect it to be this long! Well, longer than my usual chapters, anyway. : ) Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews, once again!

**ONIX-21**: Thanks! Glad that you enjoyed the 'heat'! : )

**Kalinovskaja**: Oh, renovations! Sounds like some good ol' hard work! Not that I've ever renovated anything, but I have heard stories! : ) Well, I'm glad the last chapter made your cleaning and such worth it! Teehee! I like that sentence, too! Mostly 'cause...well, I guess that's for you to find out later! : ) _Nanomaterials_? Oh, dear! I can honestly say that I never took you for a...nanotechnology person! That's pretty cool, though. : ) As for Budapest – you lucky duck! -sniffle- I want to travel! But enough of my whining! Have a great time! My weekend's booked pretty solid, so there might not even be any new chapters, except for this one! Hey – I'll miss you, too! : ) -hugs- Return with cool stories! ; )

**lennonislove**: You're welcome! ; )

**TheChazz**: lol! My, oh, my...imagery, indeed! ; ) That's funny! And cool classes to have! : )

**N.M. Smith – Mr. Cackles**: Ah, I know! _Escape Through Me_ made me sad, and even cry, I think! -sniff- By the way... -steals your puppyshipping plushie- :D

**XxTypoMasterxX**: Thank you muchly! :D Yay, hotness!

**Astrolita Karastase**: Awh, thanks! I really appreciate the compliment! : )

**-Nightly Halo-**: Haha, I know it's pretty over used, but I just couldn't help myself! ; ) And I do believe that CEO stands for Chief Executive Officer – basically the head honcho who's responsible for all the important stuff! Finances, planning, overseeing... and as for Kaiba, I think he probably does even more than that! -sweatdrop- Ah, math. I will always hate it. : ) ... LMAO! Okay, wow... that was probably one of the funniest things I've ever read in a review! Oh deeeaaar... that is hilarious! You're funny! : )

**melodyz07**: Awh, thanks! : ) I'm glad I did a decent job! They're hard to write!

Well, guys, I don't have a question for you this chapter! I think my creativity for the day is gone. : ) Not sure when the next chapter will be out (I _always _say that, but it's so true)! Hopefully I'll get at least another one done for the weekend! : )

Thanks for reading and enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter XI: Trepidation**

The first rays of the morning sun streamed into the room, causing Jounouchi to shift slightly and slowly blink his eyes open. Surprisingly, he felt comfortable, satiated, and warm; all feelings which he was not accustomed to, especially so early in the morning. There was an arm draped over his waist, resting lightly on his hip.

Once he managed to get his eyes fully opened, he found himself looking at a face that he almost didn't recognize. Serene, calm, and void of stress, Kaiba's face looked soft and innocent as his eyelids fluttered in his sleep. His mouth was relaxed, and appeared to be twitching upwards to form the curve of a smile.

_That's right. Kaiba and I, we _– His thought was cut off by a sudden movement from the brunette, who had let his head roll forward, onto Jounouchi's shoulder. Kaiba's soft hair grazed his skin and tickled him a little. He was surprised when he was spoken to in a barely coherent and sleepy voice.

"Good morning, mutt."

So he was still a mutt, even after all of that. He decided to physically show his lack of appreciation for the comment by pinching Kaiba's side a little harder than probably necessary. It seemed to Jounouchi that even if everything else changed, some things continued to remain the same.

Two blue orbs were now glaring at him. "Ow," the CEO growled softly. "What was that for?"

"For referencing dogs," Jounouchi replied. He rolled away from Kaiba and was about to get off the bed and start dressing himself when he realized that he was completely naked.

Kaiba noticed his hesitation and smirked. "Not anything I haven't seen before."

Since when were they on joking terms? It made him feel slightly uncomfortable because Kaiba had, indeed, seen everything. And he wasn't quite sure how he felt about that yet. He turned his head over his shoulder and shot a glare at him.

Jounouchi's discomfort wasn't lost on Kaiba because he was feeling kind of the same way – satiated, but it still felt like something was missing, and his heart gave a little leap when he thought about what it might be. "If you want to use the shower, there's one right down the hall."

He decided to take Kaiba up on that offer and shyly got off the bed, gathering his scattered clothing and his sling. He could feel the other watching him.

"I'll give you a ride to school," Kaiba offered. Well, that was weird. He hoped that they would get there early enough so that no one would see them getting out of the same vehicle.

There was one question that Jounouchi had to ask before he pranced down the hall naked. "Where's Mokuba?" He'd forgotten to ask the night before, but his mind had been occupied by other things.

"Babysitter's," Kaiba replied.

Jounouchi just nodded and made his way out of the room. It was a good thing that he had his school clothes, not having had time to change out of them between everything that had happened yesterday.

He heaved a sigh when he realized that he was beginning to think – exactly what Kaiba had told him not to do. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. There would be consequences for screwing around with Kaiba.

"Damn you, Newton's Third Law of Motion," Jounouchi muttered as he found the bathroom. Since when were scientific principles supposed to apply to his miserable life?

* * *

"Coffee?" Kaiba offered when he saw Jounouchi walk into the kitchen, showered and dressed. His hair was sticking up from what appeared to be a very quick towel dry.

"Err, no thanks," Jounouchi replied. "I'm not a coffee person. Um...do you have a cigarette I could bum?" He stood next to Kaiba, who was sitting at the table.

"Psh, of course not. How could you take me for a smoker? I am most certainly not one." He wrinkled up his face in semi-disgust. "Are you telling me that you smoke?"

"Occasionally, like when I'm stressed or something..." Jounouchi trailed off.

Kaiba raised an eyebrow and stood up. "Are you stressed right now?"

"Well, no, but I mean – "

He changed the subject. "We should probably get going now, before the morning rush." He carefully avoided looking Jounouchi directly in the eye.

"Yeah, I guess." The blonde jammed his hands into his pockets and followed Kaiba. _God, last night was... amazing. I guess that's why I'm so uncomfortable. He seems so nonchalant and casual about it, almost like nothing happened. But I'm...I'm reeling. I hate this..._

But Kaiba was feeling the same thing; just having a difficult time admitting it. True, he had wanted the blonde for a very long time. And he thought that having him would squash or satisfy that want – but that wasn't the case. He wanted more of him, wanted to know him. But he thought that Jounouchi didn't want anything to do with him anymore.

_He called me beautiful. I heard it...I guess he thought I was asleep, but...damn it. _Jounouchi sighed.

They reached the door and Kaiba opened it and gestured for Jounouchi to go through first. He wasn't quite sure how to act around him. _Isn't this the guy who I'm supposed to hate? It's really hard to hate him...and I don't think I can hate him anymore. Especially after he gave himself to me like that. Whatever – there'll be plenty of time to sort this out later._

Kaiba had his car parked in the driveway – he didn't feel the need for a chauffeur today. As he was approaching it though, he noticed something rather strange. He stopped suddenly and Jounouchi crashed into him.

"Wanna keep moving?" Jounouchi grumbled, stopping beside him.

"There's someone standing over there, looking _right_ at us," Kaiba said uneasily. He was surprised when the stranger walked closer. He was dressed from head to toe in black, and long dark hair fell over his eyes.

Jounouchi squinted, trying to get a better look at his face. "It seems like he wants to talk to you," he said. For some reason, the hairs on the back of his neck were standing completely on end and his skin was starting to tingle slightly.

The man walked up the sidewalk, nodding at Kaiba. He stopped about ten feet from them. "I need to speak to Jounouchi."

Kaiba narrowed his eyes and said quietly, "Do you know him?"

Jounouchi shook his head. "No, I've never seen him before. Though I will admit, he looks kind of familiar..."

The man looked impatient. "I don't have all day, _Kaiba_. I need to _talk _to Jounouchi _now_." His hand slipped into the pocket of his coat.

Immediately, warning bells went off in Kaiba's head, and he grabbed Jounouchi's wrist and jerked him back roughly. "Get behind me."

Jounouchi was confused. "Huh? I'll just go talk to him, Kaiba, it'll probably save us – especially you – a world of trouble."

"Listen to me, _Katsuya_ – get behind me _now._" With those words, Kaiba pulled Jounouchi immediately behind him. "Do not move."

Jounouchi was first surprised by the fact that Kaiba had used his first name, and then by how hard the other was gripping his wrist. He didn't understand what was going on, and then suddenly, things began to happen very quickly.

The unnamed man laughed. "Did you really think that you could get away without dire consequences, Jounouchi? My brother, Kyuuseishu, will probably be in prison for the rest of his life! And you're going to pay for that, you fucking mongrel!" He pulled a gun out of his coat and pointed it at them. "Step aside, you corporate bastard! I want to kill you _last_." He released a dangerous and feral growl.

Jounouchi had turned pale, and both Kaiba and he stood stock still.

"I didn't want to bring it to this, but you leave me no choice. Kuroi is my name – but that won't matter in a second!" He took two steps forward, poised and ready.

"Don't move, don't you fucking move, Jounouchi!" Kaiba shouted, trying to shield him, just as the man pulled the trigger.

The first bullet came rushing forward before anyone could react, and it buried itself in Kaiba's left shoulder. He cried out in agony, still grasping Jounouchi's wrist. It tore through his flesh and he felt like he was on fire.

"Kaiba!" Jounouchi cried, realizing that he had been shot. He tried to move so he could help him, but Kaiba kept him firmly behind. "Damn it, Kaiba! Let me go! God, oh, god, he's not done! Kaiba!"

A second bullet hit Kaiba, this time in the chest. He lost his grip on Jounouchi and felt himself falling to the ground, blood spurting from his wounds. All he could hear was Jounouchi's panicked cries and the sound of Kuroi laughing maniacally. _Jesus, I have to get up... Jounouchi!_

Jounouchi didn't know what to do; Kaiba, - _Kaiba - _was on the ground bleeding and gasping and the man was still shooting.

"You're dead, Jounouchi!" he yelled. "You're _dead_!" He pulled the trigger again and again, and it didn't take long for both of the bullets to hit Jounouchi – one in the stomach and one in his left leg.

"Ah!" Jounouchi screamed as his body went into shock from the pain. His vision became blurry as sounds became colors and vice versa. He still heard Kuroi as he felt himself collapsing. He landed hard, on his bad arm and saw him start to walk away. Then he saw some people come out of their houses from across the street, looking startled. Kuroi began to shoot at them, too.

He had collapsed next to Kaiba and was alarmed to see blood dripping out of his mouth. "Kaiba," he croaked, "Kaiba, he thinks we're dead. Oh god, this is my fault, I'm sorry, oh god." He was babbling and he knew it, but he couldn't stop it.

Kaiba had been clutching at his chest, gasping, and trying to get himself under control. He saw the blonde next to him bleeding from – it looked like he was bleeding from everywhere. He gave a moan and reached for Jounouchi's hand and squeezed it. "Don't...don't close your eyes. Someone's got to help us. They must have heard." He inched closer to him. _Is this how I'm going to die?_

"I have to," Jounouchi slurred. "I have to go to sleep for a while." Damn, those bullets must have hit something major. He could feel tears on his face.

"God damn it, you're not going to sleep! Stay awake!" Kaiba felt like he needed to sleep, too. The bleeding – he should be trying to stop the bleeding. But there was so much blood...everywhere. _Maybe if I just close my eyes for a second...no! Get up, go get help... _His eyes closed and he felt himself slipping away.

But he did hear one thing.

_Say it...say it! This might be your only chance... _"Kaiba – no, no..._Seto_," Jounouchi whispered, "for what it's worth...I think I've fallen in love with you."

And then his hand went limp in Kaiba's and both teens slipped into a dangerous state of unconsciousness.


	12. Explanation

**A/N:** Ah, chapter twelve! I can't believe I actually finished it. : ) But you know what that means – only two more chapters left! I wonder what's going to happen...heheh! Just kidding! I know, of course...but you don't! Hope your day is going swimmingly so far! Thank you, once again, for the wonderful reviews!

**ONIX-21**: That's right! I'm evil! : ) Gotta keep everyone in suspense somehow, you know? Makes people want to keep reading, right? ; )

**Astrolita Karastase**: Here it is! lol! And don't deprive yourself of sleep over this story! Sleep is good! Everyone needs sleep (except for me, of course)! : ) Enjoy the chapter!

**iluvstrawberries**: Hehe, your review made me giggle! : ) I'm very glad that you like the story and thanks for the compliments!

**-Nightly Halo-**: Haha, people seem to be rather upset with the cliff hanger, so much so that they're trying to kill the author via cyber-stabbing! ; ) And trepidation is a state of paralyzing fear or alarm! : ) I am currently in the middle of reading _Atonement_ by Ian McEwan, and it is just an amazing novel so far. It kind of makes you think twice about how much of an impact one simple action can have. : ) Good luck on your lacrosse scrimmage!

**TheChazz**: Oh, lifeguarding. Now that's something I probably couldn't do to...save my life. ; ) Glad that it's a fun class, though!

**N.M. Smith – Mr. Cackles**: Read on and find out, loyal reviewer, read on and find out! -dodges mob of angry readers- ; )

**Solo's Orca**: Wow, thanks for reviewing every chapter _and_ answering all of the questions, to boot! I really appreciate it and I'm glad that you like the story. : ) However, homework is important (sometimes)! Did you ever finish it? lol! ; ) As for other anime/manga... I, too, love _Ayashi no Ceres _and _Fushigi Yuugi_. I also love _Death Note_! : )

Yes, it is true; we are nearing the end of this fic! -sniffle- But I do hope that you enjoy this chapter. : ) I can't promise any updates for the weekend – I'm going to be a very busy bee! Hm, and as for a question:** What is your favourite aspect of **_**Yu-Gi-Oh?**_ Is it the cards or the characters or the Egyptian twist...

Well, for me, it's the characters. : ) They have so much depth and background and they're perfect for fanfiction, hehe! And also...the whole Ancient Egypt thing is pretty cool, too. I learned some stuff! : ) What a brilliant plot!

Anywho, see you next chapter. : )

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter XII: Explanation**

"_Don't move him just yet; he's bleeding quite heavily. Pass me that – thanks."_

"_No, I can't see the bullet...my god. We need to stop the blood flow or he's going to bleed to death."_

"_Careful! He's unconscious – they both are. Ease him onto the stretcher gently."_

"_Have they found the gunman?"_

"_He'll be lucky if he makes it past today. The other's not quite as bad."_

"_They're both so young, who would do such a thing? Oh, they have him?"_

"_Suspect was caught fleeing on foot and is now in custody."_

"_It's okay, buddy, hang in there. We're almost there."_

"_We'll need him in surgery immediately. Good Lord, we're going to need a blood donation, too. He's so pale..."_

"_Amarante? What's wrong, why are you crying?"_

"_He's flat lining, damn it! Come on!"_

"_Stay with us..."_

"_He barely has a pulse!"_

"_No, stop that immediately!"_

"_Be careful..."_

* * *

Seto Kaiba awoke suddenly, pain startling his body awake. His eyes were open and wide and all he could really see was white. He moaned as he gave his arm an experimental wiggle – surely he could not be dead because the pain he was feeling was far too acute.

He struggled to call up his last memory of being awake and found it be a truly difficult task. He slowly turned his head, only to see someone huddled over him, looking severely anxious. He recognized that he was in a hospital – but why? He was just about to ask when he was slammed full force with the words echoing in his head: _"For what it's worth, I think I've fallen in love with you."_

And then he remembered and a sense of panic that he had never felt before ripped at his chest. "Jounouchi!" he yelled, but his voice was quiet and hoarse.

The person standing over him appeared to be a doctor. He looked slightly surprised and he took a step backward. In a very soft voice, he said, "Are you awake?"

_No, you dumbass! I'm still asleep!_ Kaiba retorted sarcastically in his head. He just nodded and struggled to sit up. "Jounouchi? Where is he?"

The doctor only eyed him wearily. "Please, do not stress yourself. You've been through quite a traumatic ordeal and I think you may still be in shock. Just lie back down and get some sleep. We will take good care of you; your injuries weren't too extensive and – "

The babbling, middle-aged man was cut off by a growl. "Jounouchi!" Kaiba said through gritted teeth, now fully awake. "Is Jounouchi okay?"

The doctor looked at Kaiba sympathetically. "Unfortunately – "

Panic ripped at Kaiba's chest and his body felt made of lead. "What? What's wrong?"

He sighed. "Unfortunately, he sustained far worse injuries than you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kaiba snapped. He realized that he hadn't even let the doctor explain his own injuries.

"He'll just take longer to recover, is all."

Kaiba's heart beat slowed. "So...he's okay?"

"He should be fine. He's lost a lot of blood, but he'll be fine. We were successfully able to remove the bullets from both of you and mend the shot wounds. Even though your injuries are not as bad, ironically, you're the one who flat-lined on us on the operating table – I guess the bullet did narrowly miss your heart. But you're here and you're all right, so I guess you're a bit of a fighter." The doctor smiled warily at Kaiba.

Kaiba looked down and realized that his arm was wrapped extensively in gauze; the same as his chest. "Where is he? I need to see him."

"I would not advise moving, Kaiba-san," the doctor said gently.

"I don't care, I will if – hey, how do you know my name?"

"Aside from the fact that you were immediately recognized, someone in this hospital knew who you were. A nurse – Amarante."

"That's nice. Now take me to Jounouchi." Kaiba swung his legs over the bed, only to realize that he was in a hospital gown. "Where are my fucking clothes?" he growled.

Now the doctor was annoyed. "Sit down! You're not to move!"

"Does it look like I care? Tell me, _doc_, when am I able to leave this place?" Kaiba was furious and aching with the need to see Jounouchi. God...Jounouchi.

"Well, you can leave today, but we want to keep you here for observation in case your condition worsens. I mean, you've been out for almost an entire day..."

"_What_?" Kaiba barked. "You mean to tell me that it's _Saturday_ morning?" Twenty-four hours had passed without his knowledge and that disturbed him to no end. "I have a business to run and personal matters to attend to!" Not to mention that he was scared to death for his blonde companion, even if he was all right.

The doctor sighed. "You sure are insistent. I'll have you know that I would not advise this in the least! But since you so demand, your clothes are over there" He pointed to a chair in the corner of the room. "And don't you even think that you can take the other boy with you – he most certainly cannot leave!"

Kaiba just grumbled and limped over to the chair. Even though every muscle in his body was aching, he wanted nothing more than to go to Jounouchi and see for himself if he was really okay. And that thing he had said... _Is he really in love with me, or was that a final act of desperation?_

* * *

"Jou-kun, sweetie, it's okay. Stop thrashing." Amarante gently swept her hand across his forehead, moving a piece of fallen blonde hair out of the distressed boy's eye. "It's okay; _you're_ okay."

Jounouchi had awoken moments earlier, only to find himself in a hospital bed, pain searing through his left leg and feeling like he had been punched numerous times in the gut. But he wasn't really concerned about himself. "Kaiba!" he cried. "Kaiba, is he okay?"

"Yes, shh. He's okay, honey. You're both very lucky. Now, please, relax, you've been hurt badly." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, eyeing him worriedly.

Jounouchi finally relaxed. He felt terrible – nauseous and sore. "We were shot...that bastard," he rasped.

"He's in custody; they're questioning him right now. You're safe."

Jounouchi almost laughed bitterly. _Safe? I'll never be safe; no one around me will be safe! All because of some stupid decision I made out of desperation last year_. He let out a strangled sob. _This is all my fault..._

Amarante swallowed hard, watching Jounouchi swipe furiously at his tears. This is the third time he had been in the hospital in the last couple of days. She wouldn't be surprised if suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after this entire fiasco. She had thought he was going to die; luckily, there were some very quick and talented doctors in this hospital.

"Jounouchi?"

Amarante was shaken out of her thoughts at the sound of Kaiba's voice. "Kaiba-sama!" she gasped. "What on earth are you doing _out of bed_?" She looked truly horrified.

But Kaiba wasn't listening. He strolled to the side of Jounouchi's bed and eyed him warily. He looked horrible – dark circles under his eyes and pale skin. There were more cuts on his face, his arms. "Jounouchi?" he said again. He resisted the urge to touch him.

Jounouchi lifted his head up slightly and gave a small smile. "Kaiba. If you feel as bad as me, I don't think that you should be out of bed."

"Never mind that." The brunette looked at Amarante. "Could we please be alone?"

"Uh, sure thing, Kaiba-sama," Amarante replied. She nodded at Jounouchi. "I'll be back in ten minutes, though." She walked out of the room.

Kaiba grabbed a chair that had been resting against the wall and pulled it up beside Jounouchi's bed. He was aching all over, but first things first.

Jounouchi struggled to sit up, but Kaiba gently pushed him back down. "Don't move."

The blonde stopped mid-action and rested his head against the pillow again. Everything was quiet for a moment, and then he said, "I'm sorry I got you involved in this, Kaiba. You don't know how sorry."

Kaiba blinked. "I got myself involved, thank you very much."

Jounouchi met his eyes briefly. "You...protected me back there." He felt the blush rise in his cheeks.

"And a lot of good that did," Kaiba answered bitterly. He could barely stand to look at Jounouchi in such a state. _If only I'd been stronger._

"Thanks...for everything," Jounouchi said tiredly, quietly.

Kaiba changed the subject. "You said something to me when we were lying on the ground. You said that..." He couldn't even bring himself to repeat the words because they were having such a hard-hitting impact on him.

"...I loved you," Jounouchi finished, unable to look him in the eye.

"Did you mean it?" That's all Kaiba wanted to know, because if Jounouchi was in love with him...then, god, things could change forever.

"I don't know," Jounouchi replied, trying to mask the emotion in his eyes. _But I do know. I...I can't afford to let anything else happen between us...because I could put him in danger again._

Kaiba's blue eyes flashed anger. "Oh, so you only said it because we were intimate with each other?" He stood up then, very suddenly. He gasped, clutching his chest. Damn the injuries.

Jounouchi sat up, then. "No, I – "

Kaiba cut him off. "You know what? It's fine. I understand perfectly. You were caught up in the moment."

"Kaiba, please, let me ex – "

"Doctor said I could go home, so I'm going. You're to stay here awhile longer. I'll come visit you or something." He started to walk; angry, frustrated, confused. Since when did emotions get the best of him?

As Jounouchi watched him leave the room, he could swear that he felt his heart break a little. "God...I'm so stupid." He buried his head in his hands, shoulders shaking.

But what he didn't know was that for the first time since his father had died, Seto Kaiba had begun to cry, warm tears spilling over his eyes as he left the room.

_That's right; who could ever love me, anyway? Especially him..._


	13. Conceptualization

**A/N**: Oh, dear! Chapter thirteen guys! You know what that means – only one chapter left! That's right; chapter fourteen will be the final chapter! Don't worry; there's plenty in store for the grand finale! I've had this all worked out in my head since I started writing this fic. : ) This chapter _is_ quite short – but it's meant to be! So don't worry. : ) Thanks for reviewing! It means a lot to me!

**ONIX-21**: I know I'm evil. You might end up disliking me even more after reading this chapter. -sweatdrop- Thanks for reviewing, though! : )

**Astrolita Karastase**: It wasn't me who made Seto cry! ... Well, I suppose I have to take credit for some of that – but it was Jou, too, I swear! ; ) Thanks for the 'daring' compliment! I never really thought of myself as such before... : )

**Solo's Orca**: I know – the character backgrounds are all very interesting. Everyone has some kind of complex story! : ) It's great! And I'm glad to hear that you finished your homework! ; )

**N.M. Smith – Mr. Cackles**: Uh-oh, I'm being glared it! -shields self- If I close my eyes, they can't see me! : ) Good call on the underlying sexual tensions – it certainly makes things interesting, eh? : )

**TheChazz**: Oh, no! I made you cry? That's...excellent! Hehe...well, it always makes an author very happy when she can evoke a powerful emotion. : ) Hope you're okay now, though! ; )

**lennonislove**: Character relationships are fascinating. : ) They're fun because as long as you have some kind of evidence, you can always interpret and make a claim about them! Heehee! : ) Thanks for reviewing!

**melody07**: Ah, thank you for the amazing, wonderful very long review! I quite enjoyed reading it! Haha, yes, Jounouchi certainly did mess things up! But before things can get better they have to get worse, right? ; ) Foreshadowing of some kind? Heheh! I totally agree with your views on the characters and the plot. : ) The plot is actually quite complex, considering that it was built around a card game (not much into the cards, either)! As for Amarante, I created her because I thought the story need something stable and unchanging. : ) Thanks for reviewing!

**devotedtodreams**: Awh, it's okay! You're forgiven? I didn't realize that your fic was updated either until I went to go reread it yesterday ( it's great!) and noticed that suddenly there was a chapter three! Needless to say, I was quite excited. ; ) I'm glad you were able to read chapter ten! -sweatdrop- It's really difficult to write a scene like that ("which adjective should I use _now?_") lol! Ah, thank you for all of the wonderful compliments! -weeps in joy- You just read when you have time! No worries! And you're an amazing writer! : ) I love your fic! Thanks for the wonderful review!

Well, guys, I'm just going to let you know that **the final chapter will not be posted until Monday or Tuesday**. So that means no more updates for the rest of the weekend! I really want to finish this fic off nicely, so I'm going to take my sweet time (not that I don't take my time on other chapters – I'm just taking _more_ time on this one). : ) I want it to be worth the read, you know? Thanks for understanding!

As for another question: **What's your favourite food**? I know it's a lame question, but everyone has to have some kind of food which they prefer eating above all others! : ) I like pasta – seriously, just about any kind of pasta! And chocolate...mmm... : )

Thanks for reading, guys! I hope you have a nice, relaxing weekend! See you next time! : )

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter XIII: Conceptualization**

An entire week of school had gone by, and now it was Friday afternoon. Kaiba had returned to school on Monday – business as usual. He dodged the inquiries about his injuries coldly and callously – he knew that most of his classmates had probably read about the shooting incident in the paper, anyway. He was in pain and on several medications, but he could not afford to miss school or work.

Jounouchi had returned on Wednesday, and instead of being asked outright about what had happened to him, he was greeted with sympathetic stares and even a glare or two. Obviously the media had blown something out of proportion about his involvement with the man who had opened fire – said man scheduled for a court appearance next week, guilty on two accounts of first degree murder.

Kaiba and Jounouchi had not talked to each other since the night in the hospital room, but both refused to talk to others about their connection in the shooting. Jounouchi's friends pried at first, but he refused to let up on the details. All they knew was that the night before the shooting, he had been at the mercy of Kyuuseishu, who was stopped ultimately by Kaiba. He did not explain further, not wanting to elaborate why they were even together the next morning.

So now Jounouchi leaned against the brick wall of the school – his 'quiet area' – and took a long, much needed drag on a cigarette. He'd barely had any time to think that week, what with catching up on homework and trying to take care of his injuries. His job had given him a temporary leave of absence so he could have time to recover from the shot wounds.

The hospital had contacted his father, and just as Jounouchi had originally thought, the man did not give a damn, nor so much as even notice his lack of presence. _"Call me when you have some __**good**__ news concerning that damned son of mine!"_ he'd shouted into the phone before hanging up.

He had tried not to think of Kaiba – he really had – but the task was an impossible one. He couldn't stop picturing his face or hearing his voice. It was crazy, he knew, and everything seemed so impossible. _Only I could be so weak as to fall in love with my worst enemy after one night_, he thought bitterly, blowing the smoke out slowly.

He adjusted his position, shifting his weight to his other leg, as the injured one had started to throb painfully. He almost laughed at himself – gash in the head, arm in sling, and two bullet wounds created the mess that was his body. It was a miracle that he wasn't dead.

Jounouchi finished the cigarette and just leaned back, closing his eyes and trying to clear his mind – trying to zone in on the 'zen.' He heard approaching footsteps, but figured it was probably just another student passing by. It wasn't until his senses tingled with the familiarity of a certain presence that he opened his eyes. Cold blue ones were looking directly back.

The silence was excruciating. All they seemed to be able to do was stare at each other until Jounouchi finally broke it. "What do you want?" His tone was cold and clipped, a very strange way for his voice to sound. A breeze came rushing through and gently ruffled their clothes and hair.

"I can't stop thinking about you," Kaiba finally said, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he could even stop them.

Jounouchi almost laughed in his face. "You can't stop thinking about me, huh? Or you can't stop thinking about how much you 'want' me or what a good fuck I was?" He stood straight now, involuntarily clenching his fist.

Kaiba responded angrily, something inside of him snapping. "That's a fucking lie and you know it, Katsuya!"

"Oh, so suddenly we're on first name terms now? Fuck you, _Seto_! You're the one who walked out on me, not even allowing me to explain my stupid fucking emotions!" Now he was really fired up, and any indication that he had been calm only seconds earlier, was gone. "You don't know how much this past week has tormented me!"

"You said that you 'didn't know' if you loved me or not! How can you not know?" Kaiba growled, taking two steps closer. He did not like this situation; not at all. He wanted to know if he was being toyed with, but it never occurred to him that perhaps he was the one doing the 'toying.'

"Because regular human beings need to think about complex things without immediately shouting out a 'yes' or 'no' answer!" Jounouchi yelled. "You're different, though – you function like a fucking robot! I'm surprised that you even have emotions!"

"You know what? Forget I even came here! Forget that we were ever involved with each other! You just go right on and forget that you willingly gave yourself to me and that you told me you loved me! Just fucking forget it all!" Kaiba shouted, his blood boiling.

"If I could fucking forget everything, I would!" Jounouchi exploded, legs quaking and hand trembling. "When you walked away from me like that...when you..." He couldn't finish because the tears – those god _damn_ tears – had started falling from him. He slowly slid down against the wall, so that he was on the ground. He curled into himself; head on his knees, sobbing like a small child.

Kaiba tried to swallow the lump in his throat. What had he done? He inched forward, and tried to put a comforting hand on Jounouchi's shoulder. He was greeted with a firm swat.

Jounouchi rose slowly, the tears vanished suddenly. This is what he was used to – being thrown down and then having to pick up his own broken pieces. Not anymore. "Don't touch me," he spat at Kaiba. "Your touch is poison."

And then he walked, leaving Kaiba alone to be tormented by his thoughts, much like what had been done to him, only a week earlier.


	14. Reconciliation

**A/N**: Good morning, everyone! I hope you're all doing great; I know I am! So here we are, at the end of the road! The finish! The final chapter of _Cutting the Ties_...and now I'm thoroughly depressed! I had such a fun time writing this fic, even if the story itself is serious and angst-ridden in some places! I didn't even expect to have fourteen chapters; after all this was only supposed to be a one-shot! : ) But here it is – the end! -sniff- Much thanks to everyone who reviewed, once again!

**ONIX-21**: Thanks for all of the reviews! : ) As for Jounouchi and Kaiba making up...well, I guess you'll just have to read ahead and find out. : )

**iloveatem**: Awh, thanks! : ) Who _wouldn't_ take a bullet for Jounouchi? -a very long silence ensues- Well, I wasn't expecting _that_! -sweatdrop- It's okay, don't cry! Things might finally be looking up! Maybe? ; )

**Solo's Orca**: They're both so stubborn, hence the silly arguments! Though they're opposite, they do share a few traits! Thanks for reviewing!

**Ellinida**: Ah, I did continue writing! Yay! Unfortunately, as of now, there will be no sequel to this fic! However, you shall get your wish – a one-shot with a seme Jounouchi and an uke Kaiba is in the works! It's going to be _fun_. -evil grin-

**-Nightly Halo-**: Ah, congratulations on the acquisition of a new family member! That's so exciting! Red Bull and coffee, eh? What a delightfully caffeinated combination! Thanks for the review!

**melodyz07**: Yes, yes – those boys are so stubborn, especially when it's a topic concerning the both of them! They're both in a lot of pain, but they shall find the courage to heal! : ) -victory sign-

**TheChazz**: lol! Yes, sometimes Kaiba deserves a good ol' panning! : ) And I love _Death Note_ – it's incredibly brilliant! Man, oh, man...great stuff, there! : )

**XxTypoMasterxX**: Yeah, I know! It's so sad! -sniff- Hopefully things will work themselves out!

**astalder27**: Thanks for reviewing! Fate has definitely not been on their side lately, eh? Oh – I love lasagna! : )

**N.M. Smith – Mr. Cackles**: lol! That's right – it is me! : ) I have control over those poor boys! Unfortunately, my kind of control leads to angst and depression! ; ) Thanks for reviewing! ...And I love coconuts! :D

**TatianaSaphira**: Thanks for the compliment! : ) I'm glad you like the story!

**Astrolita Karastase**: Awh, thank you so much for the compliment! -tears of joy- I'm glad that my writing has been progressing! : )

**Kalinovskaja**: Yay, you're back! –inputs the 'ta-dah' for you- : ) I'm glad to hear that you're trip was good – and it's always hard to return home after such a wonderful time! I'm glad that I kept you in a little bit of suspense! Woo! Warm and fuzzy, eh? Reading your reviews always makes _me_ warm and fuzzy – they're so fun! : ) Definitely agree with the 'Priest Seth' comment – one hot hunk 'o anime man! ; ) Thanks for reviewing! : ) : ) : )

Phew – and there we have it! The end, the finish, the grand finale – it's all come to this, folks! I'm a little bit sad that I'm finally done this fic, but hey – it was fun and I'm glad that I had time to work on some writing! I hate to be cliché or anything, but I would really like to give my extended thanks to **Kalinovskaja, devotedtodreams, melodyz07, -Nightly Halo-, and N.M. Smith – Mr. Cackles** – I always, _always_ look forward to reading your reviews! -hands out chocolate- : ) Everyone else – thank you for being so **outstanding**! -tears of joy- : )

Well, that's it. Thank you for reading, and I look forward to your responses on my next fanfiction adventure! By the way...yes, I do have another story in the works. I've made mention of it before. It's only a one-shot and it will be featuring a seme Jounouchi and uke Kaiba! I've never written them that way before, but there's a first time for everything! Anyway, the story is going to be humorous – none of this dark stuff! : ) I don't know when I'll start it or when it'll be done, but hopefully sometime in the near future. : )

Ah, and yes, if anyone is wondering, the characters have indeed slowly undergone a change and I am quite aware of this. : ) It's all part of the story – experiencing, wondering, renewing – you know! : )

With that said, enjoy this last chapter. I tried to wrap everything up nicely. : )

Adios amigos!

* * *

**Chapter XIV: Reconciliation**

That evening, Kaiba sat idly on a park bench as the sun rested below the horizon, its light refracted by the earth's atmosphere – twilight. One hand was propped up against his cheek, elbow resting on his knee, as he stared off into the distance. He had finally succumbed to physical exhaustion.

A light spring breeze gently ruffled his hair and he sighed quietly, not really paying much attention to his surroundings. He wasn't in deep thought or anything, just a mindless funk. It was nice to sit there and not think; not a worry or care in the world. Instead his senses were focussed on the smell of the air, the taste of the wind.

But then one blue eye caught sight of a single glimmer of the sun – and he was reminded almost immediately of Jounouchi. He sat up straight, now fully aware of the sensation of emotional pain coursing through him. He felt his heart in his throat and weakly attempted to block the blonde from his weary mind. It didn't work, though. His moment of complete serenity had been shattered by a single glimpse of light.

He had never felt so strongly for anyone before, except, of course, for Mokuba. But that was a different kind of 'feeling.' He'd always had a soft spot for him but didn't realize it until these past few weeks. When Jounouchi had been in real danger, that's when those damn feelings had come rushing forward. Sure, he had always 'hated' him – but it was all just pretend.

_It's impossible to hate Jounouchi because he represents so much of what I'm not. He represents the side that I can't show – being carefree, loving, and adventurous. I'm envious of those traits, but it's part of the reason why I'm so attracted to him. _

Kaiba heaved a heavy sigh. There was so much pressure on him to succeed; always had been, always will be. As much as he tried, he couldn't just forget what had been so mercilessly drilled into him as a child. He shifted as realization dawned on him.

_I just want to be loved and that's why Jounouchi's confession meant so much to me._

He leaned back slightly, remembering the way Jounouchi had been that night, remembering his taste, his touch. It was almost too much. He wanted to feel that body beneath his again; he wanted to kiss him and hold him and protect him from any trouble that he might get into.

_Why can't I have him?_

Kaiba was startled out of his reflections by the loud snapping of a twig. His eyes darted in all directions; the only light now was that of the streetlights and the lights illuminating the walkways in the park.

"Kaiba?"

The voice which called his name was so soft and timid, so weary, that he barely even recognized it. "Jounouchi," he stated quietly, just loud enough for the other to hear. "What are you doing here?" He moved to rise from the park bench, but saw the blonde shake his head. Then he sat beside him, carefully lowering himself onto the other side.

"I happened to be walking this way and I saw you. Um, I guess you could say that I kind of wanted to find you." Jounouchi cast his eyes downwards, towards the ground. He didn't look too good, his blonde hair sticking up in all directions and his skin giving off a deathly pale glow.

Kaiba stared icily at the boy. "I thought you made it perfectly clear earlier that you wanted nothing to do with me."

Jounouchi was silent for a moment before hesitantly replying, "I didn't mean it. I was just angry."

"You said, and I quote, that my 'touch is poison.' How can you not mean something like that?" Kaiba demanded, feeling the frustration come rushing back.

"I don't know, damn it! All I know is that I'm confused. I – I didn't expect something like this to happen. I didn't expect us to suddenly, out of nowhere, have a relationship, and I certainly didn't expect us to...to...have sex," Jounouchi stammered. "I – I mean, we've spent so long hating each other and then suddenly I'm in trouble and you're reaching out a hand to help me. You've never shown me anything other than hate...and now..." He trailed off, heart pounding in his chest.

"And now what?" Kaiba asked, moving just a little bit closer to him.

"And now I've gone and fallen in love with you." He said it flatly, trying to mask the emotion in his voice. "The feelings have always been there – _why_, I don't know – and now it's just all built up and come to this. I hate it, Kaiba. I hate it because it makes me weak to fall for my enemy. I hate being weak – that kind of shit gets me into trouble. This is no different."

"You love me, then?" Kaiba's leg was so close to Jounouchi's that they were almost touching.

"Yes," Jounouchi whispered, feeling heavy and defeated. He didn't want to cry _again_, but he soon felt the salty substance begin to leak out of his eyes.

"You don't have to be afraid to love me, Jounouchi," Kaiba said softly, and slid his arm around the blonde's shoulders and pulled him close. He ignored the voices in the back of his mind telling him to stop. "I _want_ you to love me because then I can do _this_." He chastely kissed the other's temple. "And _this_." He brought his thumbs up to the corner of his eyes and gently brushed away the tears.

Jounouchi could only gape at Kaiba in wide-eyed shock, feeling the other's heat against him penetrate through his thin layer of clothes.

"And _this_," Kaiba finished, gently lowering his mouth to Jounouchi's, pressing their lips together. He pulled away after a few moments and murmured, "I don't want you to regret falling in love with me because I don't want to regret falling in love with _you_."

Jounouchi's heart hammered against his chest as he opened his mouth to reply. But Kaiba placed a single finger against his lips.

"Don't say anything. I know that this is new, different, and confusing, but we can experience it together. Please, Jounouchi. I know it might be difficult for you to do so, but please trust me." His once hardened blue eyes looked at the blonde softly and pleadingly.

"I trust you," Jounouchi murmured against Kaiba's finger. He wasn't sure what it was, but something was telling him that it was okay to lower his defences, that it was okay to let Kaiba in. He knew that the brunette had meant every word and was being completely sincere.

Kaiba just nodded and held Jounouchi, threading his fingers through that golden hair while the moon peeked out from behind the clouds, illuminating the two boys. "I promise I won't hurt you."

"I'm sorry that I – "

"Let us not worry about the past. What's done is done and it can't be erased. Let's focus on _now_." He leaned down and kissed the blonde again, this time more firmly and for a longer time. "I want to protect you and keep you safe. God, Jounouchi, you can't even imagine how I felt when I thought that those guys were going to kill you."

_Those guys_ _- that's right. None of this would have happened if I hadn't confronted Kyuuseishu and told him that I was done doing his bidding. That one night sparked a chain reaction and now...here I am. Kaiba's holding me and we're content and at peace with each other – _love _each other, even. I don't know how long this is going to last but I want to enjoy it._

"Jounouchi?" Kaiba whispered against his ear, trailing his hand down his leg and back up again. "Come stay with me again tonight. I want to show you how much you mean to me."

The blonde's amber eyes met the slightly darkened and warm but suggestive gaze of Kaiba's cobalt ones. He shivered and nodded.

Kaiba stood up and pulled him to his feet. He reached out and embraced him, careful to avoid his injuries. "Perhaps you've successively managed to cut the ties with that dirty gang, perhaps not. If the latter, you can rest assured that I will not let harm befall you." He brushed a stray blonde strand out of his eyes.

Jounouchi nodded and then he felt Kaiba's hand close around his. It was going to take some getting used to, but he wanted to do it. He wanted to be with Kaiba.

"Come on...Katsuya. Mokuba's at home tonight and I think he'll be pleased to know that we've put aside our differences – for good." Kaiba cast him soft, tender look and the two started walking, hand in hand – as strange as that was.

Jounouchi couldn't help but feel accomplished as Kaiba gave his hand a gentle squeeze. He'd managed to do two things – pull himself out of a bad habit and cut the ties of _hatred_ that had been lingering for so long between him and Kaiba.

The brunette suddenly stopped, a half-smile gracing his features.

"What is it?" Jounouchi asked, confused.

"For what it's worth...you still look beautiful." And he leaned down, kissing Jounouchi's lips soundly before starting to walk again, the moonlight illuminating their tired but content faces.

_Fin_


End file.
